Team Player
by ThunderApple
Summary: When Ruby finds herself being blackmailed in her first year of Beacon, she is forced to choose between the safety of her friends and own dignity – and Ruby Rose will always put others first, even if she pays with her blood and future.
1. The Slip-Up

Hello everyone! I've lurked on this site for a decade and am finally deciding to post to it. Please give me feedback on anything – I've always been a self-taught writer and want to improve. All reviews are appreciated!

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Professor Oobleck's class had a reputation.

The quirky man was always a lightning bolt around the room, words spewing from his mouth sometimes faster than students could understand them, let alone write them down. And yet many things in his lectures often found their way into tests, putting many students in difficult situations.

In short, his words were extremely difficult to follow.

To her credit, Ruby was actually trying that day. Her right hand was cramped and painful after managing to get down most of Oobleck's main points in a barely legible scrawl, filling six pages of her notebook in under an hour.

Ruby sighed quietly, pushing out her lower lip to blow upwards into her lopsided hair, making it wave from side to side. Her eyes darted to the clock above the professor's bulletin board, and saw only a few minutes left of class.

Placing down her pen, Ruby glanced to her left. Weiss was listening with rapt attention, her posture perfectly straight and her pen flowing elegantly over her own notebook, filling it with orderly notes.

Beyond her, Yang leaned back comfortably in her chair, arms crossed and appearing bored out of her mind, her eyes flitting around the room with an uninterested frown on her face.

Sitting next to the blonde was Blake, who was writing slowly but methodically, appearing completely focused on her work.

Ruby returned her attention to the front, and found herself completely lost in the lecture, the topic having shifted far away from the Tural mountains in the moments her attention was elsewhere. With a frown she brought her hands down to her lap and fiddled with them. She could always ask Weiss about what she missed later.

The bell chimed twice, signaling the end of the class period and making Ruby jolt in surprise. She looked around at everyone who was packing up and moved to do the same.

"Before you go, students!" Professor Oobleck called over the busy class, moving back to his desk. "I have last week's reports graded, please pick them up on your way out!"

The flow of students redirected from the exit towards his desk, and Ruby moved to join them, her team falling in step beside her.

"He couldn't have done this earlier?" Yang wondered, covering her mouth in a tired yawn.

Blake nudged her partner with her elbow, wearing a small smirk. "I think he wants to make every moment of his class count."

"I wish he didn't," Ruby whined, wringing her hands in front of her. The line was going so slow! It looked like Professor Oobleck was saying something to go along with every report.

"I'm glad he does!" Weiss exclaimed, looking scandalized. "This isn't some primary school – it's their duty to teach us as much as they can. Especially considering the amount they ask for tuition."

Yang scoffed. "Not all of us throw money to be here, princess."

Weiss glared at the blonde, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'll have you know I got here with more than just money, Yang."

The taller girl just laughed, lightly punching the heiress's arm. "I'm kidding Weiss, take it easy. I know you worked to get here, we all did." Her words seemed to deflate Ruby's partner, who gave a small smile in return.

A grin stretched across Ruby's face at their interaction. The seven months in Beacon so far had been extremely interesting for their team, putting so many differing personalities together. Weiss and Yang had been at each other's throats countless times, but had slowly progressed to actual friendship. And she couldn't be happier for them.

Her team had gone from simply cooperating in and out of school to being true friends.

The line moved forwards, placing team RWBY in front of the Professor's wide desk. The green-haired Professor glanced up and nodded, before quickly digging through a dwindling stack of papers, before pulling out a neatly-written essay.

"Great work, Miss Belladonna," he praised, taking a sip of coffee. "While you did well in practical evaluations of the Grimm, there was a lack of personal opinion. Try writing in more of your own thoughts next time; after all, the intuition of a huntress is surprisingly perceptive."

Blake simply nodded in acceptance as she took the paper, thanking the professor before stepping aside. Yang took her place, a hopeful smile filling her face. "How'd I do, Doctor?"

Professor Oobleck's lips quirked at the title, a bit of camaraderie still present between them from mountain Glenn. He slid Yang's paper from the pile and held it out.

Yang eagerly grabbed it and looked at the grade, face falling slightly.

"You reported the hunt with the minimum information, Miss Xiao Long," the Professor stated, pulling two more papers from the stack and placing them face down. "You passed the requirements for the paper, but there is more to a report than that."

Ruby glanced at her sister's paper, seeing an eighty percent marked at the top. She winced. It was a passing grade, but with the difficulty of Oobleck's class, it could damage her down the line. Judging by Weiss tensing up next to her, she wasn't the only one worried.

"Remember," The Professor stated, "A single scrap of information can cause great change. Understand, Miss Xiao Long?"

"Got it," Yang muttered and moved to join Blake at the side of the desk.

Weiss stepped up to the desk with hands folded in front of her, confidence seeming to radiate from her aura. Professor Oobleck handed her one of the papers with a smile. "Fine work as usual, Miss Schnee. I have little to offer in terms of improvement."

"Thank you, Professor," the heiress replied, a self-satisfied smirk stretching her lips as she moved to allow Ruby to approach the desk.

Ruby stepped up with uncertainty. The report she had turned in last week was rushed and not her best work, and she had been slightly worried for days. If she got a bad grade, not only would she have to work harder in class to make up for it, but her partner would be on her case for weeks, something she didn't prefer to relive. Swallowing nervously, Ruby reached out, taking the last paper from the Professor's outstretched hand and daring to turn it over.

A perfect grade was marked at the top.

Ruby's eyes widened, and she looked up in surprise, not believing what she was seeing. Beside her, a shark intake of breath indicated Weiss was also shocked. Yang and Blake curiously looked over her shoulder, and all Ruby heard was a low whistle.

Professor Oobleck smiled warmly down at her, his eyes twinkling with admiration. "Your paper was a delight to read, Miss Rose. The detail you placed into not only the flow of combat but the particular styles and movements of your team was exemplary. I once feared your skill on the battlefield would not match your ability in the classroom, but I am happy to be proved wrong."

Face slowly lighting up with happiness, Ruby felt ready to explode. Letting out a quiet thank you, she lowered the paper with trembling hands and stepped away from the desk.

Yang led the way out of the lecture room into the hallway, and it was there that Ruby couldn't contain her excitement any longer. She let out a squeal of pure delight and nearly tackled her sister in a hug.

Stumbling in surprise, Yang laughed along with her, returning the hug and spinning her around, rose petals sailing off her active semblance and coating the floor, while Blake and Weiss looked on with wide smiles.

Yang set her down and put her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "Is that the first perfect score you've gotten at Beacon?"

Ruby nodded excitedly, glee swirling around in her gut and making her feel lighter on her feet than ever before.

"Then you know what that means…" Yang trailed off, the stress in her face from her own report grade replaced with anticipation.

"Cookies?" Ruby asked, eyes shining.

"Nope," Yang answered. "Celebration _and_ cookies. Right now."

Ruby's legs shook with thrill, and after another second of eye contact, she blurred off down the hallway towards their room, petals trailing in her wake.

Weiss looked between her and Yang, annoyed. "Yang we have to go to lunch, we ca-" Her words turned to a squeak of surprise as Yang casually threw her over her shoulder and strode towards their dormitory, uncaring. "What are you doing? Put me down this instant!" The flailing girl in white called out, her face red with embarrassment.

Blake followed with a shake of her head, a happy smile adorning her face.

Standing in the doorway to the classroom behind them, Cardin Winchester glowered at the retreating team. Their grades had all surpassed his own, and he was slightly grateful that his team had collected their papers after RWBY had left.

They were a bunch of misfits that were quickly becoming the most popular first-year team. They were high-strung, arrogant, and led by an excitable child, yet still had the respect of staff and students alike. And he would _love_ to change that.

He watched the older three leave down the hallway, eyes roaming over the thin Schnee heiress, then the curvy blonde, and at last over the lean shape of the book nerd. A twitch in the black bow atop her head caused him to pause. In fact, it almost looked like…

His frown slowly split into a grin of pure inspiration. Maybe there was a way to bring them down a few pegs after all. This might be just what he needed.

* * *

A week later, Ruby found herself alone in Beacon's grand library, working hard to finish a detailed essay for her Grimm Studies class. She had taken a table near the tall windows that looked out on the campus, providing an amazing view and lots of evening sunlight. The warm rays coated several textbooks in front of her, scattered haphazardly around the entire table. Her work on the multi-page essay had taken her hours of research through textbooks offered by the library, and she was finally able to put the final touches on a paper that would make even Weiss impressed.

Taking a moment of reprieve, Ruby pushed her work aside and rested her head on the smooth wooden table, letting out a groan of relief.

"Why do schools need essays?" she muttered quietly, kicking her legs back and forth underneath her chair.

After a few quiet minutes, she pulled herself up, silver eyes drooping in exhaustion. Trying and failing to hold back a yawn, Ruby went back to work, pushing herself through the conclusion paragraph. She placed the final period at the end of the sentence harder than necessary, and then shoved the paper aside, picking up the textbooks and placing them on a library cart nearby. She picked up her other materials, a notebook and her finished essay, and slowly walked out of the library, heading back towards the dorm room, where she could put everything away, do her weekly bore cleaning on Crescent Rose, and maybe even go to bed early.

Exiting the building, Ruby crossed one of Beacon's many outdoor courtyards, well-maintained trees and plants mixing with sculptured stonework. She wore a smile of achievement as she nearly skipped through it, red cloak bouncing on her shoulders.

Another person stepped in front of her, blocking her way. Ruby slowed down and offered a polite apology as she tried to maneuver around them, only to be grabbed by the back of her cloak and pulled in front of the other.

Ruby's eyes raised in surprise and discomfort, expecting to recognize someone who would touch her so freely, only to frown in distaste as she locked gazes with Cardin Winchester.

The burly huntsman in training was well known as a crude and unfriendly person to be around, and both her team and JNPR did their best to avoid him and his cronies. And now he was staring down at her through their significant height difference, a confident smirk on his face.

"Hold up, kid," he said, smirk only growing wider with almost sinister intent.

Ruby took a step backwards, trying to put space between them. Scuffles of movement around her quickly revealed the other members of his team, moving to surround her in a confrontational way. Dove was calmly picking his teeth, while Russel and Sky just stared at her with interest. She grew nervous and tapped one foot in worry, knowing that none of them would have good intentions.

Cardin stepped forward to match her distance, infuriating smirk still in place. "Don't look so worried," he laughed, seeming to relax his shoulders and stand at ease. "I just want to talk to you, is that so bad?"

Letting out a breath of relief for the moment, Ruby clutched her belongings closer and set her face firmly. Normally she would be bright and nice to others, but team CRDL had done a lot to lose her respect. "What do you want?" she asked quickly.

"Not much," he returned, beginning to pace in front of her. "I was just curious about something, and wanted to ask your opinion."

Ruby listened silently and watched him move, wishing Yang was present. Her cocky sister never had trouble taking control of a situation, and would make her feel a lot safer right now. His words did little to reassure her. She couldn't think of anything that she or her teammates had done recently to warrant an actual conversation.

Cardin stopped moving, then crossed his arms across his chest. Darkness seemed to swirl in his blue eyes, making him all the more foreboding.

"Does Schnee know she sleeps next to a faunus?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

Ice seemed to shoot through Ruby's veins at the question, and her eyes widened in alarm. Blake's nature was a tightly kept secret between RWBY and her sister team, out of respect for her wishes. She wanted to form her own legacy without her race coming into question, and had managed to keep her heritage under wraps.

Until now.

Ruby took another hesitant step backwards, glancing at the four teenage boys around her with increasing worry and fear on her pale face. They weren't the kind of people who would respect a secret. "How did you find out?" she asked desperately, trying to buy time for her mind to figure out what to do.

Cardin's eyebrows rose in surprise, and a moment of silence passed through the courtyard before he burst out into a sharp laugh. The other boys joined him, Sky shaking his head in disbelief. Ruby watched the group around her worriedly, trying to understand what had just happened.

"We didn't!" Russel exclaimed, running a hand through his mohawk. "You just told us!"

As the realization of what she had done slowly set in, Ruby wanted to cry. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and she tightened a fist in frustration and helplessness. They hadn't found out at all. They had played her, and now because of her own stupidity the most important secret of their team was known to the biggest loudmouths and bullies Beacon had to offer.

She pictured Blake staring at her in disbelief, face twisted in betrayal, before shaking her head in disappointment and running away… leaving her sister and partner glaring at her.

As the boys continued laughing, all Ruby felt like doing was melting into a puddle. She tried so hard to be like everyone else at Beacon, but her age sometimes held her back. And now her lack of social skills was about to damage what she cared about most: her friends. Knees shaking in self-hate, Ruby closed her eyes and shut everyone out.

A tap on the shoulder made her open them, revealing Cardin still in front of her.

"Hey now, don't look so down," he soothed in a fake tone of sympathy.

Ruby looked away, wanting to be anywhere but there.

"No one has to know," he finished.

She looked back up in surprise. Why would he say that? He had prime material to use against both Blake and the rest of the team in many ways. What could he possibly gain from-

"In fact, let's make a deal," he stated, a friendly smile replacing the fake sympathy. "We won't tell anyone about this if you do something for us."

Ruby narrowed her eyes and wiped a tear from them, staring back with growing anger. They were going to use her for their own gain, just like they had with Jaune. But unlike that earlier situation, Blake was respected and liked by many inside the academy. If her secret were to come out it would drag her down in countless ways and maybe affect her right to be there. And if the news reached Weiss's father, the faunus-hating head of the Schnee Dust Company, the fallout could very well destroy everything that Blake worked for. She was being blackmailed, and she couldn't do anything about it.

"What… do you want?" she questioned in a small voice.

"We're not bad people," Cardin replied, gesturing to his team. "We don't want to hold this over your head forever, that's just cruel. So, if you help us with one thing, and only that, we'll keep your secret too."

Ruby listened intently. From the sound of it, they were actually serious. Maybe she could manage to find a way out of this situation after all. Not daring to let her hopes get up, she squared her shoulders and raised an eyebrow, an expression she had learned from her partner. "What is the thing?"

Cardin grinned wickedly. "We're going to steal Ozpin's cane."

Panic replaced the uncertainty in her limbs. Professor Ozpin was the very reason she was there in the first place. His kindness and belief in her had managed to get her ahead two years and join her sister in her dream school, and then he made her a leader of her own team! And now they wanted her to betray that trust and steal from him, taking his clearly important walking device and hidden weapon? If she was caught, who knows how he would react. And then there was his second in command.

Professor Goodwitch was firm and relentless to any rulebreaker at Beacon; but if she caught someone stealing something so serious, her prodigal status wouldn't be able to save her. She would face suspension, and maybe even expulsion if discovered.

"Are you in?"

Ruby's tears returned full-force. She was well and truly trapped. She could risk hurting her team, or risk hurting herself.

The choice was an easy one.

"Yes," she answered in a whisper, her free hand clutching her cloak.

"Great!" Cardin replied, uncrossing his arms and brightening. "We'll talk to you later this week after we figure out our plan. In the meantime…"

His sentence cut off as he strode forward and yanked Ruby's belongings out from under her arm. She stumbled from the sudden action, then gritted her teeth in anger and tried to reach forward, only to be held back by Dove, pressing her small frame against his armor. "Give those back!" she yelled in a high-pitched tone.

"Hey, this is tomorrow's essay!" Cardin laughed, looking through the pages. "You know, I'm a bit behind on mine. I'll take yours though, I can change the name and be all finished!"

He separated the papers and handed the notebook back to Ruby, who took it with shaking hands. "I'm sure you don't mind. Anyway, I'll talk to you soon. Have a nice night!" he said, nodding to his teammates before turning and walking towards the dorms. The others slid around her and followed him, loud conversation slowly growing quieter as they left the courtyard.

Ruby was left standing alone, the last rays of the falling sun leaving her and shrouding the area in darkness. Hot tears slowly made their way down her cheeks, dripping onto the stone walkway beneath her.

What had she done?

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Please review, and thanks for reading!

-ThunderApple


	2. Escalation

Well things are getting more interesting! Thanks to everyone who read/followed/reviewed, I really appreciate it!

Enjoy.

* * *

She stared at the white door to team RWBY's dormitory, unsure of herself.

Her team would likely all be inside for the night, and her entrance would draw attention to herself. She had managed to clean up her face on the way back, but it would still be apparent something happened. The others weren't stupid, after all. Black was frustratingly perceptive, and wouldn't hesitate to mention something amiss. Yang wouldn't be that much of a problem to the others, but she could read Ruby like a book. And Weiss… who knows what how the rich girl would react.

Ruby sighed deeply, placing her head against the door. She didn't know what to do.

She desperately wanted to run in, hug her sister with everything she had, and spill everything. They would crowd around her and listen with caring faces and calm voices, offering her comfort and soothing words. And when she told them how she let slip the most important secret of the team, Yang would be furious at both her and Cardin, Weiss would yell at her stupidity, and Blake would just stare at her, completely betrayed.

They would think she was just a stupid kid.

Ruby grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. She brought her hands up and touched her pointer fingers together nervously.

She wasn't completely naïve. Ruby knew that her teammates trusted her leadership and respected her, but at the same time didn't take her seriously. Time after time the truth had become apparent from the others. Rolled eyes and hesitant acceptance of official orders, an occasional break of carefully planned maneuvers in combat practice, kindhearted jokes at her expense when they thought she wasn't listening...

And now she wanted to walk into their room and beg for help to solve a problem she created.

Ruby clenched her hands into fists and stood up to her full height. No, she needed to do this herself. If Jaune, a questionably-able huntsman could get Cardin off his back without a secret slipping, then she would do the same.

 _I have to do this_ , she told herself. _Not just for them, but for me._

With a deep breath she reached into her uniform's coat pocket and retracted her scroll, then swiped it alongside the large door. After the lock disengaged, Ruby pulled it open and stepped inside.

Things were surprisingly tame for a room with a reputation for violence and destruction. Weiss was seated at the desks against the wall, clearly focused on studying a textbook in front of her. She ignored the door closing behind Ruby, seeming completely involved in her reading.

Yang was reclining on Blake's lower bunk, the black-haired faunus sitting directly next to her as Yang swiped through what looked like pictures on her scroll. Her sister looked up and waved as Ruby walked past, placing her notebook down on the bookshelf beneath the window, before pulling herself up onto her bunk and laying on her back.

She stared at the ceiling. _Alright Ruby, we can do this! Just deal with those jerks for a few days and everything will be fine!_

Ruby glanced to the side, seeing Weiss still transfixed on her studying. The image was more than enough to remind Ruby of her own essay for Professor Port, now sitting in a different building with a different name on it. And it was due tomorrow.

Groaning internally, she realized what that meant. She wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

And she really didn't want to redo it all, either. Thankfully Ruby still remembered a lot of her research from the library, but rewriting the paper from scratch would take quite a few hours.

Looking again at the distracted Weiss, she made up her mind.

Jumping off the bed, Ruby pulled a few sheets of blank paper from the bookshelf and slid into her designated seat alongside her partner, earning no reaction. She opened the drawer underneath and pulled several pens, placing them on top of the desk. After several long moments of laziness, she picked one up and began writing.

She made it halfway through the second paragraph before snow-white hair moved beside her.

"What are you working on, Ruby?" the heiress asked curiously.

Their relationship had changed drastically throughout the months since initiation. What was originally scolding and degrading comments about Ruby's work ethic had slowly transformed into small compliments and helpful tips. It wasn't easy, but the frosty girl had become her friend.

"It looks like the migration paper. Wait."

However, even after they had come so far, Weiss was still as prickly as ever.

"It IS the essay!" the heiress screeched, knocking her chair back as she stood up furiously. "Ruby Rose, what in Remnant are you thinking? This is due tomorrow morning, and requires actual cited research! And you're starting it now?"

Ruby tried to keep writing, half used to her partner's shrill complaints. After all, they were quite frequent around Yang. Still, she frowned slightly at Weiss's reactions, knowing that she had lost a little respect from being placed in this situation.

"I thought you were improving! You've managed to pull up your grades in every class, and actually started studying in your off periods! And now here you are, with barely any time to spare, starting an essay the night before its due like an idiot?"

Her pen became much tighter in her grip, the messy scrawl on the paper darkening with the added pressure. Ruby tried to ignore her as much as she could, but every word still managed to slip through her defenses.

"This is going to throw your overall grade out the window! You know Professor Port's tests, they're difficult even for the best of us! Your stupid and irresponsible actions are dragging the rest of us down!"

Part of Ruby wanted to break down then and there at the desk, while another wanted to leap to her feet and shout back into Weiss's face. _This is why I need to do this alone. They don't take me seriously._

Making up her mind, Ruby set down her pen and turned to Weiss, face set with what she hoped was a serious expression. "I'm sorry. I had other things to do this week, and I forgot about this until now," she stated, hoping the words were stronger than her nervous thoughts.

Weiss rolled her eyes and scoffed, closing her textbook and righting the fallen chair. "Well I hope you enjoy a bad grade for your idiocy. Maybe you'll actually act like a Huntress next time."

The parting words were more painful than they should have been, a slight pang of hurt slicing through her heart. Weiss was never one to state her emotions directly, but as Ruby had learned over the years, the heiress's internal thoughts were mixed carefully into what she said.

 _Maybe you'll actually act like a Huntress next time._

Weiss was mad at her, but the one sentence said a little more to Ruby's ears. She was disappointed.

Ruby turned her attention back to the essay and tried to drown out the rest of the room, not wanting to see what the others thought. The thin shadow on her desk turned and moved away, leaving her alone. Trying her best to focus on the words in front of her, Ruby wrote line after line as best she could, stumbling over parts that required research. She subconsciously noted the room's lights turning off at some point, leaving her with just the small lamp above the desks.

It was very hard to not think about her situation, or what her best friend in white thought of her. Every time her mind would go astray she would yank it back on track with a huff of frustration. After a long period of focus, she pulled up her scroll to check the time only to find it past midnight. A glance down at her paper showed less than half of the work complete.

Ruby gripped the edge of the desk as tightly as possible, biting her lip to contain a scream of frustration.

 _I can do this._

* * *

Grimm Studies the following morning was anything but pleasant. With tired eyes Ruby blearily tried to remain awake at her seat, but it was an uphill battle that she wasn't winning. Professor Port's endless droning about Grimm was in a dull monotone and the lecture hall was dimly lit that day. Her eyes slowly closed once more, the sweet relief of rest beckoning to her.

A sharp elbow to her side startled her from sleep, causing her to nearly fall out of her chair. A tired look to her side revealed an irate Weiss, who roughly angled her head towards the front of the room. Ruby placed her elbows on the table before her and tried to focus on the porky instructor, but the burgundy coat he wore was a blur of motion and shapes that didn't remain constant.

Her cloudy gaze moved past him, looking at the stack of papers resting on his desk in a haphazard pile. Her own essay was among them, turned in with the rest at the start of class, messy but complete. She had hoped to finish in time to get some rest the previous night, but by the time she had set her pen down only a quarter hour had remained until her alarm would go off. She had put her head down on her desk and groaned, not moving until her team had begun their morning routine.

Ruby's thoughts and battle to stay awake completely distracted her from the rest of the lesson. In a moment of surprise she noticed that other students around her were packing up their belongings, only a few moments left in the class.

Professor Port's voice loudly broke into the din of students rushing to escape. "Your work should be graded by the end of today! After all, Grimm Migration is extremely illuminating for everyone to read about!"

A few quiet mutters from around her seemed to disagree. The end-of-period bell chimed once, and the occupants of the room quickly moved to leave.

Ruby fell into a slow walk behind her partner, tired eyes watching the ground in front of her. They left the classroom and strode down the hallway among other students.

At a fork in the hall Weiss stepped away from her, heading for her Dust usage class in the neighboring building. The heiress didn't even spare a glance backwards, clearly avoiding her partner after what Ruby did the night before.

Ruby let her go without a word, watching her white and blue skirt slowly wave from side to side as she strode confidently down the hall. Pressing her lips together into a firm line, Ruby began walking to her own class just a few corridors away. She passed by many other students and open classrooms, floating through miscellaneous conversations without a care. Normally she would be looking about with curiosity and interest at the people around her, but today her mind was blank.

She didn't even notice as footsteps slowly matched hers, moving to come alongside.

It was the large shape walking alongside her that brought her back into reality, and she looked to the side in questioning. Cardin Winchester was calmly matching her stride only arm's reach away, lips stretched in a thin smile.

Pace faltering, Ruby slowed down to a halt as he continued forwards. She was now hyperaware that very few other students were in the area, classes starting momentarily. A quick visual scan of the hallway revealed that other than a few hurrying others passing by, it was just the two of them. Panic set in, her mind running through countless different scenarios of what the older boy wanted from her. She eventually forced her shoulders to relax and stood at her full height, raising her eyes to meet his as he stopped and turned around in front of her.

"How is your day today, Rose?" he asked in an almost friendly tone.

The delivery of the question set off alarm bells in her head. She was fully aware that he held the power in their interaction, and she was essentially at his mercy. Yet his delicate entrance indicated that he wanted something. A moment of quick thoughts raced through her head, trying to decide how to handle the situation. She could reply with honesty, that her day was horrible so far due to his own actions, but the answer would give him what he wanted: the knowledge that he was affecting her. On the other hand, she could lie and appear unaffected by his actions, but that might lead him to cause more problems. She was playing another game with this conversation, and she didn't want to lose again.

With her time to reply dwindling, Ruby chose a course of action. The lies came out quietly, nervousness tinging their delivery. "I'm tired from redoing my work, but I think it was worth it. I wrote a much better paper the second time. How are you?"

The reply caused the boy's eyes to darken, his smile fading quickly. "Not bad," he countered, the polite tone contrasting heavily with his expression. "You're heading to Mechanics one, right?"

"Yup," she replied breezily, walking forwards to pass him, dismissal evident in her carefree answer. She knew she was walking a dangerous road by not playing his game, but she had a lot to prove. Both to him and herself.

However, Cardin clearly wanted to keep the power in their relationship. A boot quickly pinned the bottom of her cloak to the floor as she passed, yanking the top of her uniform into her throat and pulling her back with a strangled yelp. His hand roughly gripped her arm and twisted her to look at him, his face transformed to menacing in a heartbeat.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" he asked in a quiet but deadly tone, the grip on her arm tightening to be painful.

Ruby held in a cry of pain and attempted to meet his gaze, but her scared face did her little good against the anger lining his jaw.

"I did a little research on your team, you know," he continued. "Didn't find anything interesting on you, but the animal on the other hand…"

Her blood boiled at the offhand insult of Blake, and she really wanted to hit him. She was starting to agree with Nora's urge to break legs.

"Her last name pulled up some very interesting results. I'm honestly surprised that no one at this school has made any connections yet. Did you know that her father was the last leader of the White Fang?"

Ruby froze, panic turning to sharp fear. The hallway seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them alone in darkness. Things were quickly escalating out of control.

Cardin seemed to notice the change in her, voice changing from controlled anger to a confident sneer. "I was really curious, so I asked around my father's company. In a few reports of White Fang thefts and attacks here in Vale, there are some vague descriptions of a girl being involved. Dressed in black, agile, highly skilled… and maybe wearing a black bow."

The words echoed through her head, their significance instantly obvious. Cardin knew everything about Blake. Where she came from, what she did in her past, and how she was hiding it now. With that knowledge, he could tear her team apart in the worst way. Ruby stood there, frozen as her body tried to catch up with her mind. The situation had gone from bad to worse, and now lives were on the line far more than before. And it was all her fault.

"So we have a lot to talk about. I'll meet you in the courtyard at sunset tonight. Don't be late."

Ruby barely noticed his departure, leaving her alone in an empty hallway. Somewhere in her chaotic head she heard the bell for the start of classes. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and self-blame, countless scenarios of what would happen in the future cycling through one by one. There was no way out for her now, she was in far too deep. It was one thing to ask her team for help before, but now? Her stupidity had ruined everything. They would hate her.

She had really, _really_ messed up.

* * *

Weiss sat at a round table in class with her legs crossed, watching in contempt as Jaune stumbled through the worksheet. Professor Peach was unsurprisingly absent that day, leaving a substitute teacher who had passed out busy work in the form of a short class assignment that could be finished with the help of the class textbook. She, of course, was finished before anyone else, and used the remainder of her time to watch JNPR's leader struggle with each question. He was unfortunately the only other person in her class period that she was familiar with.

"For number seven," he asked in a tone begging for help. "Does it mean the first or second part of-"

"The first, dunce," Weiss replied airily. "Professor Peach went over it last week."

Jaune looked back down at his paper, the confusion on his face clearing. "Right! So that means that number eight wants the process for the second part."

She gave him a single nod, to which he smiled back and resumed writing down the answers. She stared at his pencil writing sloppy words on the lines next to each question, not unlike her own partner. Even so, she had to offer her grudging respect to the boy. He had little talent and experience, but was working very hard to prove himself to others. She found his drive admirable, not unlike her own willpower to escape the clutches of her father in Atlas.

"You know Weiss, you're really helpful," the blonde cut into her thoughts, setting down his pen and staring at her with a warm smile.

She looked up with a raised brow, silently asking him to continue.

"Everyone on both of our teams comes to you for help with school at some point, and you're always willing to work with us," he stated, shuffling his hands nervously. "I know we're all grateful for that."

The honest compliment warmed her cheeks slightly. Years of fake words and ulterior motives had hardened her to be cold and judgmental of others. But whenever her friends gave her sincere praise, she found herself floundering, unused to genuine words. That had caused many headaches in the early days of being at Beacon, with her half of her team practically unable to say anything except their honest thoughts. And Jaune's compliment was no different.

She struggled to articulate her answer effectively, stumbling over her words before she decided on a reply. "It's no problem. I did have the best education money could buy, after all." Anyone else might mistake her words for preening, but Jaune had known her long enough to understand what she meant.

His smile grew slightly. "Ruby really appreciates it, that's for sure. She talks about you all the time."

Weiss's good mood deflated instantly at the mention of her partner. She was still thoroughly irked from the young prodigy's actions the previous day. Failing to keep up with classes would drag the entire team down, and she couldn't afford to let that happen, not when those grades would end up on her father's desk. She let out a puff of air, lips twisted in distaste. "I wish she would listen instead of talk."

Jaune had returned to his worksheet, but let out a small laugh of understanding at her words. "She's a handful, yeah! Sometimes more than Nora, and that's saying something. But you know she means well."

"She needs to take things more seriously!" Weiss growled in a low tone, letting out her frustration after keeping it bottled in for half a day. She idly wondered at what point she had started trusting Jaune enough to be honest with him. "Last night she started the essay for Port right before bed! She needs to take responsibility for her school and career, she's a leader after all! How do you think it looks when the one representing us slacks off?"

She expected another round of amused agreement, but was met with silence. Jaune was looking at the table in confusion, mouth slightly open in thought. A few words slipped out. "The migration essay?"

"Yes!" she answered in slight anger. "She just walks in and begins writing it from beginning without any references! If I didn't need to get sleep I would have spent another hour pointing out her idiocy! Her laziness is going to impact her grade."

Jaune kept staring at the table, deep in thought. He eventually looked up, and this time spoke in a softer tone, seemingly mixed with doubt. "That can't be right."

Weiss stared back, trying to decipher what he was trying to say. "Please elaborate," she sighed. "What isn't right?"

"We worked together in the library yesterday on that essay," he explained. "Mostly because she had most of the good books to reference in the paper at her table already. I left early to go get dinner, but she was almost done with it."

The explanation made her pause. Two things that happened the day before didn't match up at all.

"You're sure it was the essay?" she asked.

Jaune nodded in certainty. "We compared citations lots of times."

Weiss leaned back and dropped her straight posture, mind at work. Something wasn't right. From what it sounded like, Ruby had her essay mostly finished before she had come back to the dorm. And yet, the red-cloaked girl had started it anew at the dorm with little time to spare, an action that she had to admit was unlike her partner after months of being at Beacon. And she had told Weiss that it slipped her mind.

Ruby Rose was many things: a hyperactive ball of energy and a destroyer of anything with sugar content to feed her demanding metabolism. But she wasn't a liar.

They needed to talk.

"Everything okay, Weiss?" Jaune asked, reminding her where she was.

She shook her head to clear it and picked up her own worksheet. "Of course. What other questions do you still need to answer?"

As the blonde started talking about his work and the class continued, a small seed of doubt began to grow in her head. Why would Ruby lie to her?

* * *

Next update on Saturday.

Thanks for reading! Please Review!


	3. Outreach

Thanks for all the reviews and attention so far, everyone! I've been so happy to read through it all. And please, if you have any thoughts about my writing, share them!

Enjoy!

* * *

She didn't know what to do anymore!

Ruby tapped her feet nervously as she sat on a cold stone bench in one of Beacon's many small gardens. The flowery area was separated from the engineering building and offered a wide view of the horizon, with most of Vale visible in the afternoon sun. It was also one of her favorite places to be alone, hidden past a quaint door on the first floor lobby. And at that moment, it was a great place to panic.

She had barely made it through her earlier classes in once piece. Cardin's final words had haunted her mind all through Mechanics and History, making her barely able to pay attention to class. To be honest, she was pretty sure that she missed most of both lectures.

Her head had been a whirlwind of fear and doubt, processing just how bad things had become. Cardin now had enough information to do far more than blackmail, and if he was even half the boy she thought he was, he would use it at some point. The release of Blake's past would tear their team apart in every way. The Schnee Dust Corporation, specifically Weiss's father, would come down upon her with fury and likely lock her up in jail for her past loyalties. Weiss herself would likely be pulled from Beacon to protect her, and she would never set foot in beacon again. And then it would just be her and Yang, left with half a team, seen as a failure to the rest of the school and that was if the SDC didn't come after them for not telling anyone…

This was really bad.

Ruby had been desperately trying to find a way out, but every course of action she came up with was a failure. Cardin just had too much information against her. She had become completely helpless in his game, and was just being bounced around for his own enjoyment.

What was he even after?

The question made her pause. She hadn't yet thought about what he stood to gain. From what she knew about him and his earlier treatment of Jaune, he was just a bully that wanted to watch others suffer. And he didn't like anyone with a remote connection to faunus, she thought, recalling his harsh treatment of Velvet that eventually stopped after Coco got involved. So why would he come after team RWBY?

They were ranked better than Cardin's team, she supposed. His team's medieval approach to being huntsman couldn't stack up against their specialized skills and weapons. Swords, halberds and maces were completely outclassed by dust-based rapiers and high-impact sniper scythes, after all. As such, RWBY sat near the top of the ranking for the first year students; maybe high enough to make them jealous.

She didn't understand their approach to being beaten. Her own team would just train more and become better, but Cardin apparently thought that attacking them indirectly would improve his own standing.

"He probably just wants to look better," she mused sadly, leaning back to look up at the cloudy sky. "He thinks he's the best and needs to prove it, and since he can't beat us the normal way, he has to do this."

Figuring out why he was being such a pain could come later though. Right now, he was a very real danger to the future of her team. And she needed a plan to deal with it.

Her mind went straight to her sister, just as it always did. Yang had always been there to help her, just as a sister should. But the last thing Ruby wanted to do now was approach her and spill how much she messed up. She enjoyed the respect she held in her sister's eyes more than ever, and really didn't want to lose it. But what else could she do? She wasn't stupid! Ruby knew that she was digging herself into a very deep hole, and getting out alone was quickly fading away as an option.

She needed help! From someone she could trust, someone not from her own team.

The first name that came to mind was Professor Ozpin. He had brought her to Beacon in the first place, and seemed to be a man who knew a lot more than others. It wouldn't be hard to meet him in his office and explain everything. He could probably deal with Cardin very easily, and everything would go back to normal!

She tilted her head in sudden curiosity. Wait, did Ozpin know about Blake's past?

A minute of thought left her divided on the answer. He was frustratingly aloof sometimes, giving her no clues. His own treatment of her right before Beacon started made her suspect he did know. Floating cameras watching her fight and Goodwitch proximity to the battle were too convenient to be accidental. And yet if he did know, why would he let Blake come to the school? Her story could potentially damage his own standing if it came to light.

"Whyyyy is this so complicated?" Ruby groaned, laying back to rest on the bench, staring at a single bullhead VTOL as it soared above the school.

While she had known of Blake's White Fang involvement, the other information Cardin told her threw her for a loop. Her father the leader of the White Fang? She had shakily pulled her scroll out after Mechanics and researched the Belladonna name, only to confirm everything the older boy had said. Ghira Belladonna was one of the original founders of the organization, but had stepped down years ago and now served as the Chieftain of Menagerie. Even so, that information would look very bad to certain eyes.

Ozpin had too much to lose, she decided. She wasn't sure how much he did know, but reaching up that far could end in many different ways. It was very likely Cardin would let his information slip at some point, damaging her own team and Ozpin's own respect from the public. That might cost him.

She needed help, but not from anyone at Beacon. It would have to come from someone without anything to lose, who wouldn't benefit from the truth becoming public. Someone who might care just enough to act if called upon.

Ruby let a small genuine smile out, the expression absent from her face for too long. She recalled a conversation from her partner several weeks ago, with a brief mention of another name.

Weiss had someone she trusted far away in Atlas, very detached from the problems in Vale – her sister.

* * *

Lunch was a quiet affair for Ruby. They four had taken their usual spots at a table, with each partnership on one side facing the others. She had tried to act normal around her team during their shared hour for eating, but her sister had quickly caught on to something off with her. Ruby had quickly thought of an excuse, and came up with a decent story of not being able to touch a new weapon in Mechanics.

The others had bought the story and went back to normal, and Ruby had resumed moving around her meal on the plate before her, appetite nonexistent. She was dimly aware of the lively conversation around her, with Yang and Blake talking about an assignment in their last class. The rest of the cafeteria was a quiet blur around her, almost like when she was using her semblance except lacking the clarity of vision. She had a mission, and no idea how to handle the one simple objective.

Get Weiss's scroll.

Ruby had tried hopefully to locate contact information for Winter Schnee with her scroll, but between SDC sites and the Atlesian military she came up completely empty. It seemed the only way to speak with her would be to use her personal number, and the only one who had it was her partner. And asking was certainly out of the question. She pictured Weiss's downright confusion and then suspicion if she were to ask for Winter's scroll number. No, she had to get her hands on it quickly and quietly, long enough to make a call.

A tap on her arm startled her, the touch pushing down on the bruised area Cardin had left from earlier and making her stifle a yelp of pain as she flinched away. She looked around with alarm, seeing Weiss looking at her with disdain, and Blake furrow her eyebrows from across the table.

"Are you listening Ruby?" Weiss asked again, blue eyes narrowed.

Ruby blinked and made herself focus on the face in front of her. "Wha?"

The heiress sighed and rolled her eyes. "I asked you if I could speak to you after lunch, before you run off to your Leadership class. I'd like to talk about something."

"Su-sure?" she replied hesitantly. That didn't sound good.

Weiss nodded, satisfied. "Good." She turned back to her food, picking at her salad.

Ruby exhaled in relief, grateful that no one had noticed her reaction. She didn't even realize how much Cardin's touch on her arm had hurt until now, a dull throb of pain under her school uniform. Pushing aside worry about her partner's talk, she resumed playing with her food.

She felt someone watching her, and looked up to find amber eyes carefully studying her from next to Yang. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, with Ruby unsure how to feel. Blake's eyes were hard and her lips twisted in a frown, with her dark brows bent downwards in suspicion. A single meaningful glance to her arm was enough to clue her in.

Ruby tried to control her worry, internally cursing her teammate's perceptiveness. She offered a weak smile in return, shaking her head in dismissal. Blake kept staring, seeming not to buy the answer. While the stalemate continued, Ruby was slowly freaking out behind her smile. If she told the others, Yang would get very involved and that was something that couldn't happen, not now.

Blake bit her lip and looked away, turning back to continue listening to the ongoing conversation between Yang and Weiss. Ruby mentally cheered, avoiding a catastrophe for the moment. She didn't know if the faunus would bring up the injury later, but she would have more time to figure out an excuse.

The rest of lunch was uneventful. The others finished their meals and stood up from the table, Yang stretching her arms above her head with a yawn. "Well, back to suffering. See you later Rubes, Ice Queen."

Weiss gave a halfhearted wave of her hand as the other two dumped their leftovers in the trash and strode out of the hall, Blake calmly following behind her partner. Ruby stood up to join Weiss, who grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back down to the table.

"Sit," she almost growled.

Ruby took her previous seat and drooped her shoulders, knowing that tone. Weiss meant business.

The girl in white sighed quietly, then turned around and sat down with her back to the table, opposite of Ruby. She didn't speak for a while, apparently content to torture Ruby with curiosity. When she finally spoke, it was in a soft, careful tone very unlike anything she had used before. "Where were you yesterday after class?"

The question made Ruby tense her hands, shoving them under the table to keep them out of sight. She almost felt like Cardin was in her partner's place, asking her questions he already knew the answer to. Ruby sensed she was being pulled into another game of lies and truths, and this time with her own partner. What was she supposed to say? If she knew the answer already Ruby would be putting herself in an even worse situation!

"I got an early dinner," she answered truthfully. Before she had gone to the library she had stuffed herself with several plates of food so that she could finish the essay in one go.

Weiss hummed in acknowledgement. "And after that?"

Ruby squirmed in her seat. This was becoming dangerous. She had to get out. An excuse came to mind instantly, a plan working its way through her head in an instant. Maybe she could still make this work.

She pulled out her scroll and looked at the time, then gasped in mock surprise. "Weiss! I have to be early to class, my project is the first up! We can talk later, okay?"

As Weiss frowned and opened her mouth to speak, Ruby leaned over and gripped her in a tight hug, pulling her thin frame as close as possible. "Sorry," she breathed, meaning it in more ways than one as she gently reached down and unclipped Weiss's scroll from her belt, clasping it in her hand to hide it.

Ruby released her and stood up quickly, shooting the interrupted girl a warm smile before rushing out of the room in a storm of red petals.

She shot through the hallway in a blur, dodging through other students and staff alike, before erupting out of a set of double doors onto Beacon's grand entryway. With a glance around to check for anyone she knew, she resumed her sprint for solitude, ending up under a stone archway near the edge of the school's massive landing pad. Separated from the main campus, the section she was in was mostly decorative and rarely had any visitors during school hours, many equally beautiful alternatives being closer and more convenient. Gasping for air from the incredibly quick run, she pulled Weiss's scroll up to her face.

She felt bad for taking it, even for the few minutes it was needed. She wasn't a deceptive person, and would rather run from her partner's questions than deal with them. But she didn't have a choice anymore.

Ruby opened the scroll and stared at the clean display, the home screen well organized in a logical layout, just like she would expect from the girl with the highest grades in school. She quickly found the contacts application and opened it, eyes widening at the surprisingly wide selection of unfamiliar names and titles. Security Chief Reynolds, Klein, Adencia.., none of them looked familiar, and Ruby started to feel as if she was intruding into something very personal.

"Sorry Weiss, but I need to talk to her!" Ruby whispered in apology, the words fading off into the quiet air.

Scrolling down through the alphabetized list, she found what she sought at the very bottom, a single name printed identically to the others. Winter.

Ruby glanced up at the clock displayed on the top of the screen, showing only a few minutes to spare before her next class, far from enough to have a conversation. She debated her options for a few seconds before gasping with inspiration.

Tapping on Winter's name, Ruby began a new direct message and rapidly typed it out, repeatedly going back to reword it until it was clear enough to read.

 _Winter! This is Ruby Rose, Weiss's partner at Beacon. Something happened and now a student here knows something we tried to keep a secret. If he tells anyone it would be really really really bad for everyone on our team, especially Weiss! The others don't know about this yet and I have no idea what to do! Weiss said you can be trusted and I believe her. My contact details are below, please call me tonight!_

She stared at the finished message for a long period of time, debating sending it. Part of her was unsure about the safety of the message and feared it would get into the wrong hands during its long journey through the CCT's on two continents and then to another scroll, but then again Winter was apparently part of the Atlas military, so their communications should be secure. And would the older sister even help? Or would she just go straight to her father and report it?

She thought about her forced meeting with Cardin later that day, and winced. She was in too deep now, chances had to be taken. With a fearful gulp she pressed send.

The message quickly disappeared, a small notification filling the small screen _. Sending…_ Ruby tapped her left foot impatiently, watching the words and hoping for their follow ups she knew from her own scroll.

 _Delivered._ She exhaled in relief, glad that it had gotten through to the other continent. A long moment passed with nothing else happening, and Ruby internally freaked out. _Wait, does Atlas have a different time zone? She might be asleep or something! What if she doesn't even have her scr-_

 _Opened._ The final notification made her still, and she watched the screen warily for any other change. Minutes passed by without a reply from the distant sister and Ruby eventually relaxed. Winter had read it and judging by her lack of reply had pieced together the need to keep things quiet.

She quickly deleted the message in the scroll and leaned back against the pillar, school uniform scraping against the rough stone. It felt almost good to ask for help, to stop dealing with her situation alone. It was one thing to look stupid in front of her friends and family, but Winter was a step up. She would probably think she was a complete idiot unfit to be near Weiss by the time everything was explained, but Ruby could deal with that. Heck, she probably already thought that if she was anything like Weiss.

As she closed her partner's scroll and stared at it, she debated how to get it back without causing issues. Handing it over directly wasn't an option as it would only make the owner really suspicious. She needed another way of doing it that didn't involve her.

Her eyes found the time reading on the closed scroll, and Ruby squeaked in horror. She had only a minute to get to Professor Goodwitch's class!

Vaulting into action she flew into a rose-strewn ball of speed, retracing her steps back into the school. She passed the cafeteria and then doubled back, quickly zipping into the almost empty room and sliding the scroll under the table she had eaten at. With any luck, a staff member would find it and return it to Weiss, who would assume it had somehow fallen off during lunch. Deceptive, but effective, Ruby mused to herself as she zoomed towards her class.

She had reached for help, and with any luck she would get it tonight. Even so, her gut burned with uncertainty about Winter Schnee. Would she help the ongoing avalanche of blackmail or just make things worse?

* * *

Next update on Monday.

Thanks for reading!

\- ThunderApple


	4. Milkshakes

To anyone else in Beacon Academy, seeing Weiss Schnee confidently striding through the grand hallways was a normal sight. Many who knew her name were smart enough to avoid her out of respect or fear. To anyone close however, the stress lining her brow and downturned eyes were a big giveaway that something was going on.

Ruby's actions had left her deep in thought all through her classes lunch. Weiss was a thoughtful person who had no appreciation for surprises and was trying to figure out what exactly was going on with her dolt of a partner. She had tried to broach the subject of the essay during lunch, but Ruby had given a questionable excuse and run from her before she could get any answers.

Admittedly, her partner's reaction was somewhat comforting. Another full-blown lie would indicate something of greater importance going on behind the scenes, but Ruby had instead avoided the subject and put off the conversation which implied some level of guilt. That was reassuring in a twisted way.

Weiss ignored her surroundings as she made her way back to her dormitory, content to leave her eyes on the ground before her. She had started by wondering if there was something worth hiding from herself, such as a holiday or birthday. But a large amount of thinking was unable to produce anything important in the coming week having to do with her or anyone she knew. And even so, why would Ruby of all people keep it hidden? She was an open book most of the time, her intentions and thoughts practically broadcasted with flashing lights and loudspeakers.

Why was she so bothered by Ruby's actions?

The answer was fairly obvious, though she didn't want to admit it. She had been part of political games and conversations masking business for her entire life, a world in which honesty was rare and often dangerous. And then she had come to Beacon and been given a partner who was basically unable and unwilling to hide anything from her. For the first time in her life, Weiss knew someone who was honest on who she was and what she wanted, and the relationship became surprisingly important to her. When Ruby said something she meant it, and though her team and few friends elsewhere at the school were also startlingly frank, the child with the red cloak put them to shame.

And yet Ruby had lied to her. It threw a seed of doubt into her forest of comfort and trust for her partner, and it was quickly growing out of control. Weiss knew her partner well enough to know that she dealt with her problems head on.

She gritted her teeth and restrained a groan of annoyance as she finally reached the western dormitory. Maybe she was just blowing everything out of proportion. Ruby was a good person, that much was common knowledge. She probably had a good reason for whatever she was up to, and it was highly likely she would end up begging for help at Weiss's feet sooner or later.

The thought was oddly comforting to her, enough to relax as she passed through the common room of RWBY and JNPR's floor. The stark red hair of Pyrrha caught her eye, the tall girl leaning against the far wall talking with Ren. Green eyes sliding over to Weiss, the Mistral-born girl waved invitingly as she passed, her teammate in green turning to offer a nod as well. Weiss felt her lips raise in an unwilling grin as she left the room, her hand forming a small wave of return. It was amazing how good it felt to be at Beacon sometimes, somewhere she was recognized and liked for who she was.

She stopped at her room, face still bright from her small interaction. Reaching back to grasp her scroll and unlock the door, Weiss paused in confusion. Her hand met only the sleek material of her belt. She twisted her waist to look down, and found the place on her belt where she wore her scroll to be empty.

"What?" she asked quietly, extremely surprised at the turn of events. "Where did…"

She had never before lost her scroll. Her own personal device had a well-designed mount built onto the back that prevented it from coming off without intention, and she had worn one for almost a decade, her father urging the need for security. Why would it fall off now? In fact, she hadn't even touched it after clipping it on that morning, and the only physical contact she had all day was with Ruby.

Ah. There it was.

Her dolt of a partner's impromptu hug likely somehow unclipped it, and with any luck it was now sitting somewhere on the dirty floor of the cafeteria.

Face scrunched in annoyance, she twirled on her toes and started towards the other building. The sound of a door opening behind her pulled her out of her fantasy of berating Ruby for stupidity. "Weiss?"

She turned in question to see Blake standing in their room's doorway, eyes curious at her retreating form. "Is everything okay?" she asked softly.

Weiss sighed, turning to fully face her teammate. "Ruby somehow misplaced my scroll at lunch. It's probably still in there, and I'm going to fetch it."

"They brought it here," Blake cut in with a gentle smile. "The staff figured it was easier to give it to your team than track you down."

The news was oddly soothing, and Weiss turned around to make her way back to the door. Blake moved aside to let her in, and then closed the door behind them. Surely enough, the white frame of her scroll was resting on her bed, contrasted well against the blue quilt below it.

Weiss walked over and sat down on her bunk, picking up the device and turning it over in her hands to inspect it for damages. It was surprisingly clean and not tampered with, just as she had left it. Sighing in relief, she clipped it back onto her belt and looked up to the other occupant of the room. "Thanks," she broke the silence, her tone laced with gratitude.

Blake nodded in return and moved to the desks on her own side of the room, pulling out a chair and dragging it to the center of the room. The action was odd enough to get her full attention, doubly so when the faunus sat down in it to face her, face serious.

"Yang won't be back for a little while," the stoic girl started. "And I wanted to talk to you before she gets involved."

Sitting up straighter, Weiss crossed her arms and listened closely. The words inferred something important, and much like minutes ago sifting through her mind for anything significant she had missed was met with failure. "What do you need?" she asked curiously.

Blake was silent for a moment, her eyes calculating. When she spoke, her voice had dipped slightly lower into a serious tone oddly out of place on the quiet girl. "Have you been paying attention to Ruby recently?"

The question, while not accusatory, was delivered in an odd way. Weiss first thought it was to ask if she had been ignoring her partner, but as she took a moment to think she realized it was meant more in concern about the younger girl instead.

"I have," she replied honestly.

Amber eyes subtly darkened, Blake's body language seeming to tighten as she spoke. "Did you notice she had been crying last night before she came back here?"

The question was unexpected, and Weiss paused, finely plucked eyebrows slipping downwards as she took it in. Ruby crying? That seemed highly out of character for the normally bright girl. She put her memories in reverse, picturing the night before. Her partner had returned later than usual, and then went straight to work on her paper. She had only seen the working girl's face once before bed, and she remembered it looked tired and stressed, eyes red from what she thought was exhaustion. And to top it off, Ruby had been very quiet and morose, more content to work than speak to anyone in the room.

Weiss suddenly felt very stupid. She prided herself on her intelligence and perception, and yet she apparently couldn't notice something wrong when it was right in front of her.

She narrowed her eyes at Blake, tone dropping to match the seriousness of the conversation. "No, I didn't. I thought she was just tired."

"Me too," Blake agreed. "But I've seen a lot of tears shed in my life. I wasn't sure what to think, so I didn't say anything."

Letting out a hum of agreement, Weiss clasped her hands in her lap. "So why are you bringing this up now? Especially without Yang?" she asked curiously.

"At lunch, do you remember when you touched her arm?"

Weiss nodded, unable to recall anything important with that conversation. "Yes, what of it?"

"She flinched when you did it, like she was in pain," Blake elaborated. "Very quickly, very slight, but it was there."

The answer was unexpected, to say the least. To be honest Weiss didn't notice a thing out of the norm during that small touch, but she supposed Blake was in a much better position to witness it, and her capable perception had yet to be wrong. Satisfied, she thought about the pressing issue: Ruby was injured. They hadn't had the opportunity to train or fight in Goodwitch's combat class that week, meaning there was no situation where she could have gotten hurt. And even if there was, her aura should have healed it within a few hours. Which meant that an injury to her arm was either very bad, or very recent.

Blake continued after a moment. "I wanted to speak with the only other serious person on this team before I let Yang in on it. You know her, she'll become very protective and not listen to reason once Ruby is involved. I want a logical evaluation of the situation before we blow things out of proportion."

Weiss nodded in complete agreement. While the energetic blonde was content to let Ruby figure out a lot for herself, anything involving actual injury would quickly spiral out of control. "You caught onto this quicker than I did. What do you make of it?"

A deep exhale. "I'm not sure. Either development happening by itself wouldn't be that serious, but they both happened back to back. I feel like something is wrong, but whatever it is Ruby clearly doesn't want to talk to us about it."

"This may be connected," Weiss muttered, mind whirling around her partner's problems. "Her essay she wrote last night? From what I learned from Jaune, apparently she finished most of it that day in the library. And yet she returned empty handed."

"And likely cried a fair amount at some point in the evening," Blake added. "And then hid some sort of injury from us the next day."

Anger quickly replaced the confusion in her head. Weiss was very displeased at where their argument was taking them. "Do you think that someone…"

Blake frowned, lip curled in displeasure. "I'm not sure. Either way, something happened to her that she doesn't want to tell us. And you know just as well as I do that Ruby doesn't keep secrets unless something is at risk."

* * *

Yang slid into a forwards roll, dodging the raw power of the oncoming blow.

Upon contact with the arena a shockwave erupted, knocking her backwards a few feet. Yang lowered her stance and maintained her footing, sliding to a halt just inside the large circle in the center of the room. She let out an impressed whistle at the display before raising her arms up into an offensive stance, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. "Is that all you got? I'm disappointed."

"There's lots more where that came from," Nora shot back as she twirled her hammer into motion, turning it over to rest on her shoulders. Her own grin was almost feral in nature.

Yang took a moment to think, studying her opponent across the ring. The sparring room wasn't large enough for an aerial strategy and her maneuverability was limited. Magnhild's reach allowed Nora far more options in the enclosed space, putting herself on the defensive. The bouncy hammer-wielder was one of the few people who could keep up with her in a close-quarters setting, and therefore held the cards in their sparring session.

She'd have to fix that.

Leaping forward, Yang fired a round from each gauntlet of Ember Celica, the two shells easily dodged by Nora as she moved to the side. Matching the movement, Yang pressed the attack and slid into the reach of the hammer, skillfully ducking a powerful swipe from the side and finally reaching her goal: being an arm's length away from her opponent.

She unleashed a flurry of blows, Nora backpedaling desperately as her Aura took half of them and defensive swings of Magnhild the other. As the red-head finally found her footing, Yang shoved herself backwards just in time to avoid a strike that would shatter the bones of most people.

With an exhilarating yell, Nora jumped into the air and slammed her hammer downwards, intending to crush through Yang's defenses with a single blow. Exactly what she was waiting for.

As the hammer sailed down towards her face, Yang waited in a boxer's stance for the perfect moment. Just as it came within reach she coiled her muscles and sidestepped in a quarter circle while pulling her arm back, wincing as Magnhild contacted the ground and released a small shockwave into her, damaging her already worn aura but giving her the power she needed. Nora came down after her weapon just in front of her and turned to prepare another swing, just to see Yang's fist already in motion. Her blue eyes widened in horror.

The blow impacted into her cheek like a freight train, fueled by Yang's semblance and only adding to the discharge of Ember Celica. Nora was knocked off her feet head first, sailing out of the circle and into the far wall of the room, Magnhild clattering to the ground next to her.

Yang whooped in victory, shooting a fist into the air and wincing as she strained her muscles.

"That…" a quiet groan came from Nora, who was upside down against the wall, limbs stretched out in odd directions. "Was… awesome!"

"I know, right?" Yang laughed, slowly walking over and reaching out a hand.

Nora took it and allowed herself to be pulled up, shaking out her limbs. "Sometimes I forget you're really strategic during a fight. I kinda just hit with everything I have."

"Not always. Only when I might lose."

The other girl smiled wider at the words, recognizing them as a backhanded compliment. She skipped over to her weapon and picked it up, twirling the hammer back into the compact form of a grenade launcher and slinging it over her back. "How'd we do?" she asked curiously.

Yang pulled her scroll from her side, unlocking it and opening the Aura monitor she had started at the beginning of the match. Both of them were in the orange, but she was much closer to red than Nora.

Said girl looked over her shoulder at the screen. "Wow, I still have more than you even after that hit?"

"I guess," Yang mused in a quiet voice, put off by the revelation. "Then again, you are a giant battery of power, so I guess it makes sense."

Nora stared at her for a moment, smile fading. "You okay?" she asked kindly.

Yang looked up, shaking off her thoughts and closing her scroll. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for the fight."

"You bet!" the Valkyrie returned, face brightening. "We should do it every week, it's really nice to be here without a teacher staring at us!"

Nodding in agreement, Yang moved to leave the room, sparring partner falling into step beside her. They exited the training area and moved through the buildings, a rough path set for the cafeteria where they were hoping to grab something to drink.

Nora was surprisingly deep at times, empathy and intelligence buried underneath her fierce disposition. Conversation topics with her could range from politics to what toothpaste was the best, and they never failed to entertain. She was a great person to spend time with outside of team RWBY, and as such they would often spend one day a week after classes doing whatever they came up with at the moment.

As they crossed the courtyard in front of the Engineering building, Yang's scroll buzzed at her side. She pulled it out as she walked, opening it to see a message from her partner.

 _Come back to the dorm. We need to talk._

Yang slowly came to a halt, staring at the message. Blake could be cryptic, sometimes even mischievous, but this was just weird. She hadn't done anything to piss her off in the last few days, had she? Feeling out of place, she typed back a quick reply. _At cafeteria with Nora, be back soon._

A second passed before an answer came. _Please make it quick._

Her lilac eyes stared at the screen, debating if she should return immediately. There was time to grab a couple milkshakes, right? Maybe it would help appease whatever she had done wrong. _Got it._

She closed her scroll and resumed walking, moving to catch up with Nora who was waiting curiously several paces ahead.

* * *

Yang made it to back to her dorm room twenty minutes later, a vanilla shake in each hand. She struggled to use her scroll at the door, almost dropping her own cup in the process. With a bit of ingenuity, she managed to swipe it and unlock the bolt, pushing the door open with her foot and sliding inside.

She found herself faced with their relatively normal dorm, with the addition of three desk chairs set up in a circle at the middle of the room. Blake was calmly seated in one chair, hands resting in her lap as she watched her partner enter with focused eyes.

Behind her in front of the window, Weiss was pacing rapidly back and forth, arms crossed tightly in front of her. She looked up as Yang entered, face set with a mix between anger and worry.

Yang cringed at her two teammates. The princess was involved too? That wasn't good at all.

Blake gestured to the seat in front of her and she slowly moved to sit down, lifting up her other arm to offer the spare confection. Amber eyes narrowed before closing in acceptance, her partner reaching out and taking it from her fingers.

Weiss quickly moved to join them, gently falling into her seat in her normal elegant posture, eyes locked on Yang's with an alarming level of seriousness.

The trio remained in silence for a while, enough to nearly drive Yang mad.

"What did I do?!" she shouted out of the blue, demanding answers for her nervous mind.

The other two jumped at the yell and glanced at each other, seeming caught off guard. Weiss sighed, turning to look at her. "Calm down, you didn't do anything wrong."

The revelation was both stress relieving and inducing. "Then why are we having an intervention right now, huh?" Yang countered, gesturing to the setup of chairs. "Because that's exactly what it looks like."

Blake took a long drink from her shake before setting it down next to her and leaning forward, tone low and serious.

"We think someone is after Ruby."

Yang's eyes widened at the six words, taken completely off guard. This had quickly gone a direction she wasn't expecting. Now looking at the situation in a different perspective, she could see the worry on both of her teammate's faces, and it certainly explained the odd approach to the subject.

The words finally sank in, and Yang's heartbeat quickly increased. Ruby – someone was targeting her sister? Why would anyone be after her of all people, on a team where she had the least problems with dangerous factions of the world? Weiss probably had countless different organizations gunning for her, Blake was a traitor to the White Fang, and she herself had a talent for stirring up trouble wherever she went. But Ruby was a child at heart who had only ever made one enemy, and Torchwick had been absent for months. And most importantly, why was she only _now_ finding out about it?

She glared at her friends, her own shake joining Blake's on the floor. "Explain, now."

* * *

And now the whole team is getting involved!

Thanks for reading everyone, and as always, please review!

\- ThunderApple


	5. Trust

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, things came up and I got really busy.

You know, I always frowned at writers on this site who updated sporadically, and now that I'm here it all makes sense. Sorry this random reader was annoyed with you, thousands of writers! You have my respect more than ever!

Carry on!

* * *

The room's small clock ticked constantly, the tiny sound seeming large in the enclosed space.

The explanation had been surprisingly quick in Blake's perspective. Rather than become a loose cannon, Yang had remained calm as she and Weiss had articulated their suspicions, the only tells of anger visible being her clenched fists and grim expression.

By the time they had finished it had only been a few minutes since the brawler had entered, and now they sat together in silence.

Blake stared at her partner, internally surprised by the lack of reaction. She continued to be surprised by her team even after months of knowing them.

"What do you make of it?" she asked slowly.

Yang met her eyes, and the lilac color even in its harmless form was sending a small shiver down her spine. The color was so pure and seemingly harmless, but malevolent fire seemed to burn inside the irises making them far more threatening than expected. "This isn't the first time," the blonde replied softly.

Tilting her head in surprise, Blake nodded at her to continue.

"You guys know Ruby," Yang said as she crossed her arms. "Kind, adorable, a total dork who is out of place in most situations."

"That's a serious understatement," Weiss muttered from her seat, rolling her eyes.

Yang closed her eyes and shrugged. "That's always been her. Ever since her mom died, she stopped caring what others thought and wanted to be just like her. She didn't care about boys or clothes, just weapons and huntresses. She would stay up late at night reading about warriors and legends, super entranced by some kind of magical destiny. I guess in some way she wanted to be a hero and be strong enough to save others as part of a big story, like her mom."

Blake waited silently, thinking of her red-cloaked leader. The words did her justice: she was an odd girl who was far beyond anything she had ever met before. Ruby didn't care about so many things that others did, she merely brushed them aside and remained bright and optimistic.

"Some people didn't like that though," Yang growled. "Ruby was the same way when she started at Signal two years ago, except shorter and more naïve than ever. She clung to me whenever she could, and we always ate lunch together. And then one day, she didn't show up."

Weiss and Blake glanced at each other, uncomfortable at the blonde's steadily lowering tone throughout the conversation.

"So of course I went out searching for my cute little sister and look around her last class, but she's nowhere to be found. And when I crossed the training yard, I see a tiny bit of red out of the corner of my eye. I turn, and do you know what I saw?" she asked, opening her eyes to reveal a glowing crimson, pure fury emanating in a constant wave of hate. "Ruby, lying on the ground trying to be as small as possible. She's crying and scared, trying to say something… only to get kicked in the face."

An appalled gasp from the heiress followed Yang's words. Blake herself tightened her hands into fists, memories of the exact same treatment to her own culture flowing through her brain one by one. The very idea of someone like Ruby being treated so horribly made her want to vomit. "Who did it?" she asked carefully.

Yang's hair seemed to be letting off steam at this point. "A girl from my grade. She and her flunkies thought that they were the hottest things in school, better than everyone else. Apparently Ruby being different pissed her off somehow, and she intercepted my sister right before lunch with her group of _popular_ girls to try and show their dominance. And since Ruby had no idea to do in that situation, they only got madder at her. I guess thought that if they beat her hard enough she would do whatever they wanted, including stay out of their way."

"That's… just… deplorable!" Weiss hissed, face twisted in genuine anger. "They had no right to even touch her! How did they even think that was acceptable in their twisted minds?"

"I was frozen for a little while," Yang admitted as she looked down in shame. "I didn't know what to do, I was scared myself. I just watched as Ruby got hit again and again, begging them to stop."

Blake listened in shared fury, her gut filled with hate and fear, part of it directed at herself. How had she ever assumed that her team's lives were nothing like hers? Each of them had gone through their own struggles, and she was ashamed to learn that Ruby of all people was the same.

Red eyes came back up. "And then I got the hell over myself. My fear turned into pure anger, and I felt my semblance stronger than ever before. I saw my sister being hurt and I was the only one who could help. So I didn't think, I just ran. I sprinted straight for that prissy girl as fast as possible and when I got there I put everything I had into one single punch."

"Please tell me you broke her jaw," the heiress scowled. "And then maybe her face."

"I did way more than that," Yang grinned, meeting Weiss's eyes. "I was so mad I fractured her neck and skull with the force of the first blow, and even when she was on the ground I kept hitting. Her idiot friends tried to get involved too but I tore them to pieces. By the time I realized they weren't hitting back anymore the fight had been over for a while."

The justice was extremely satisfying to Blake. "And Ruby?"

Yang lost her grin quickly. "She was okay, bounced back quickly. Didn't leave my side for a few weeks, no matter what we were doing. And no one dared to bully her again at Signal, especially when our dad and uncle became involved. Those three girls left the school really fast from what I heard. In the end it didn't help Ruby at all, she only became less confident around others. And that's why this situation frustrates me."

"Do you think it's the same thing? Someone is trying to take advantage of her?" Blake asked, leaning back in her chair to think.

"It would certainly make sense," Weiss cut in. "She of all people isn't one to draw attention to herself when she isn't confident. I could see her being too embarrassed to speak with us about it."

"No," Yang sighed. "She isn't too embarrassed, or afraid. She would have come to me sooner if that were the case. Ruby is trying to-"

"Prove herself," Blake interrupted, frustration rolling through her shoulders.

Yang nodded. "I know her, and I can tell she feels very out of place as our leader, especially with a team like us. I bet she feels like an inexperienced kid in charge of her older sister, the richest girl in the world, and a really smart former terrorist, which she kind of is. I think she wants to handle whatever's going on by herself, to prove that she's strong enough, that she doesn't need others to solve her problems."

Blake shifted at the hidden praise, cheeks coloring. "Maybe."

"So what do we do?" Weiss asked with hesitance evident in her voice. "Should we let her figure this out on her own?"

Yang didn't answer, her eyes fading back to their normal lilac. She slumped in the chair and grabbed her shake, taking a long sip and staring at the others. "If I was being abused by someone here, what would you guys do?"

"Find out who and threaten to destroy everything they own," Weiss responded quickly.

"Do whatever needs to be done," Blake replied with confidence.

Yang nodded. "The same applies for me. We're a team, for better or worse. Sure, we're different and have our own issues, but we stick together and deal with things together. And if either of you ever had a serious problem, you can bet on your life I'd be there to help."

Letting a warm smile fill her face, Blake leaned toward her partner. "So the same goes for Ruby?"

"More than ever," Yang grinned, a cocky expression covering anger and doubt. "We're gonna find our little leader and smother her with friendship and love until she spills everything. And then, we're all gonna deal with it together, and there's nothing she can do about it!"

* * *

Ruby nervously waited in the courtyard outside the library where everything had begun.

Everything was coming together far too fast for her tastes, and she had no choice but to deal with it. As the sun began to reach the horizon in the distance her scroll seemed very heavy suddenly. Winter could call at any time and she would really prefer to be ready for it, but Cardin's games demanded her attention.

"Focus," she whispered to herself. "Get through this and then talk to Winter."

Seconds quickly turned into minutes and Ruby began to pace quickly, the entire situation rough on her nerves. Countless different situations came through her mind of what her blackmailer would want, each worse than the last.

The sound of a door opening startled her, and she looked up to see Team Cardinal emerge from one of the campus buildings, Cardin at the lead. Dread pooled in her stomach and she felt the sudden urge to vomit. The group of four approached quickly, and Ruby's unease changed to alarm once she got a closer look.

They were all in their combat gear, and they had their weapons.

Fighting the urge to run, Ruby stood her ground on shaking legs. She could always run to escape them, she was the fastest person in the school, right?

The team of four finally reached her, stances relaxed as they came to a halt in front of her. Cardin's armor was freshly cleaned and shined with the rays of the dying sun, while the other's gear looked recently maintained as well. The entire situation screamed suspicious to her but there wasn't anything she could do.

"You actually came," Cardin grinned.

Ruby looked up to meet his eyes and returned the statement with a small nod.

The much larger boy seemed oddly pleased. "I bet you're wondering what this is all about, pipsqueak."

"She's not the only one," Thrush muttered from the side.

Cardin quickly glared at his teammate before returning his attention to Ruby. "You're an important part of my plan for tonight, so thanks for not doing anything stupid. Do you have anything planned for the rest of the day?"

Ruby grew even more uneasy at the changing tone of his voice. It had gone from superiority to focused questioning, like he was deeply concentrated on something. "N-nothing else tonight," she quietly replied.

"Then go get your gear and weapon," he ordered, face set in seriousness. "Meet at the edge of the Emerald forest by the initiation area thirty minutes from now."

"W-why?" she stuttered in response, thrown by the way this meeting was going. She had expected threats and abuse, not this!

"Because we have a mission, and tonight you're going to be a part of my team."

With that, Cardin turned and walked away, heading past the library and towards the forest he mentioned. Sky and Russel quickly followed, the mohawked boy grumbling in discontent as he ran to catch up.

Ruby took in Cardin's words, trying to understand anything at all. She felt more out of place than ever, like she was a clueless child who was left out of very important information. She was needed for her combat skills, outside of the academy? What was he trying to achieve? His original goal of stealing Ozpin's cane seemed so far away from the present. Nothing made sense.

"Hey." A voice broke into her thoughts, and Ruby shot her head to the side, seeing Dove Bronzewing still standing in his original spot, narrow eyes locked on hers. His armor-laden arms were crossed in discomfort, and his face looked uncomfortable.

She met his gaze with uncertainty, internally preparing for more things to go wrong.

He seemed to deflate, bowing his head. "You're not gonna get out of this by acting like that, you know."

Ruby narrowed her eyes, the sympathetic voice igniting a small anger within her. "And what am I supposed to do?" she asked, rare sarcasm creeping into her own tone. "I don't have a choice."

Dove looked up with a glare. "Cardin isn't doing this just for laughs. There's a lot more to this than you think, much more than grades or rankings. If you stop playing the part of the helpless victim and start using your head, you just might get out of this in one piece."

She contemplated the words, doubting the situation more than ever. There was definitely something going on that ran deeper than bullying. Cardin had gone from being crude to needing her skills, so quickly that it wasn't a coincidence. It was almost like he was testing to see if she would report his actions, in an odd way of seeing if she could be trusted.

Just what was going on?

Dove frowned and shook his head before turning and jogging off to catch up with his team, leaving Ruby alone in the courtyard once more.

She stamped her foot into the ground forcing all the thoughts out of her head. She needed to join them for whatever they had planned for the night, and that required her gear.

With a quick spin she aimed for Beacon's locker rooms and shot off, Rose petals in her wake.

* * *

The locker rooms were a place Ruby both hated and loved. On one hand, they were very open and offered little privacy to anyone changing or showering, something that taken her many weeks to get used to. But more importantly, they were the storage location for hundreds of unique weapons, and each time she strode down the walls of lockers she always felt a rush. Countless different ideas and the originality of so many different designs, all within arm's reach… if only she had a master key.

Team RWBY's lockers were fortunately placed near the center of the women's section, making finding them really easy. Ruby speedwalked through the halls of hundreds of lockers, wondering how many had weapons inside.

As she approached her own locker, a loud ringtone broke out to join her footsteps in the silent rooms. Ruby jumped at the noise and froze, looking around before realization shot through her. She reached down and grabbed her scroll, fumbling with it and nearly dropping it as her adrenaline-fueled arms struggled to work correctly.

After managing to grasp it with a firm grip, she raised it in front of her in anticipation. A picture of a widely grinning face covered in blonde hair stared back, and Ruby sagged in disappointment. She had been expecting a different older sister.

She let the scroll ring, not wanting to speak with Yang at all. There was already enough to worry about without Yang butting into her problems.

Then again, she wouldn't be coming back to the dorm tonight, and that meant Yang would likely get worried, and possibly search for her. Something she didn't need to deal with at the moment.

With a loud sigh Ruby answered the call and placed the scroll against her ear. "Hello?"

" _Heya Rubes!"_ a jovial tone answered. _"Where are you?"_

Ruby contemplated a reply for a moment, wishing she could think faster on her feet. Maybe she could try using her semblance to speed up her thinking process at some point. She could probably ask Weiss for her opinion, the idea sounded like it could work but needed some level of—

"I'm at the library," she offered, kicking herself. She really needed to focus right now.

" _You coming back soon? You've been gone for a while."_

She froze, now knowing how to reply. She had no idea how long the night's activity would take. By the look of it and need for gear it would certainly go beyond her normal bedtime. She needed an excuse for being out for the night, one her sister would actually buy.

"Not until really late," she replied. "I have stuff to do."

A pause. _"Do you need any help? I can head over – two minds are better than one."_

"Thanks Yang, but I'll be okay," she lied. "I'll just get through it and be done with it. Maybe be back around midnight?"

" _Sheesh, sounds like you really have a load. Okay, I'll let you go. Don't work too hard, alright?"_

Ruby let a small smile reach her lips. "No harder than you would."

Yang laughed, her voice seeming a bit forced. _"Righty-o. I love you, Ruby!"_

"I love you too," she said, wishing she could just tell the truth.

" _See you sooner or later. Bye!"_

The call hung up, and Ruby set her phone down, smile fading. She really hated lying, especially to her sister. They had always been close, almost partners in crime for years. They had always told each other everything. She really hoped this situation didn't hurt that.

With a set face she finished the walk to her locker and set her scroll down in front of it. Her own name was the first of the row, quickly followed by her teammates. With a quick entry of her combination, the maximum range of Crescent Rose's rifle caliber in meters, the door slid open to reveal her pride and joy in tangible form, painted metal shining and calling to her.

Ruby pulled her combat gear from the lowest shelf quickly, knowing she had only twenty minutes to get dressed and cross the academy. Removing her school uniform, she quickly slid into her trademark black tights, quickly joined by her battle dress. She laced up the faux corset and tightened the skirt to her preferred setting, then slid into her boots and buckled them securely. Her belt and weapon mount followed quickly, and she made sure to grab an extra few magazines for Crescent Rose, locking them onto her waist.

After piling the uniform inside the locker she gently removed her weapon, running a hand over the smooth metal. She always felt better when she had it on her person, the steel having her own Aura infused and running through it. Crescent Rose was almost a sister or a child to her, a way of facing the world through sheer power and strength. She felt much better with it alongside her.

Slipping it onto the small of her back, the metal plate quickly magnetized and locked the scythe against her. With a confident smile, Ruby reached down and picked up the last part of her ensemble, her cloak. She gently threw it around her shoulders and pinned it to her dress, pulling up the hood to cover her face.

With a flourish, Ruby closer her locker and spun around to face the way she came in, her uncertainty falling off her body and fading away. Whatever came next, she would face it as a huntress.

No matter what, she would protect her team.

She shot off towards the far side of Beacon academy, rose petals haphazardly coating the floor of the locker room. One petal slowly sailed to the ground, falling atop a discarded scroll.

* * *

And I finally get to take the story down the road I've been waiting for! I've already diverged from my original plan - things are more interesting than not in the coming chapters. Prepare for blood, deception, and for things to get much, much worse.

Thanks for your time, everyone!

 **Next update on Friday!**

\- ThunderApple


	6. Overwatch

The cliff was almost a completely new place at night.

The fading orange light from the hidden sun in the distance still managed to light the area where inititations for Beacon Academy occurred yearly. The stone pads that launched students into a dangerous forest remained still, and the forests below were cast in pure darkness beneath the leaves.

Ruby walked carefully among the edge, heading towards the area where Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch had stood months prior to watch the students. She eyed the small group already waiting there, extremely unsure of what she was doing. The weight of Crescent Rose on her back was enough to comfort her onwards. Whatever came next, she would deal with it one way or another.

It didn't help that students weren't allowed to be there without supervision. The Emerald Forest was a restricted area, where only teacher-supervised field trips were held. Entering it, let alone being near it was already enough to land her in serious touble.

The group turned as she approached, the four boys looking oddly uncomfortable to be there.

"It's about time!" Sky grumbled, running a hand through his blued hair.

Ruby bit her lip at the comment, knowing she had arrived well before the deadline of thirty minutes. She turned her eyes to Cardin, who was staring impassively with his arms crossed. She offered a simple nod, not wanting to speak any more than necessary.

The Winchester closed his eyes and exhaled, then looked at his team. "Here's the plan. I'm not going over it again, so try to get it into your skulls."

Thrush rolled his blue eyes beside him, while Dove and Sky stood at attention. Ruby took a step forwards to come alongside them, maintaining a healthy meter of space.

"We're gonna move through the forest to the ruins, keeping as quiet as possible," he explained, clasping his hands. "From there Russel, Sky and I will start searching through the area for what we're after."

"Wait, wasn't I supposed to go with you?" Dove spoke up, looking betrayed.

Cardin's eyes darted to him, hard with annoyance. "No. You're gonna stay with the kid at the edge of the ruins. She's our overwatch while we look, so Grimm don't tear us in half when we're not paying attention. You'll find a vantage point and make sure she watches us with her rifle. Get it yet?"

Dove nodded and shut up.

Cardin finally turned to Ruby. "You get that too? You're the only one here who can reach out at long distance, so you'll be watching our backs." He strode forward and towered over her as he spoke, stopping only a breath away. "Neither of us like it, but you're needed. Do what you have to do and everything will go smoothly. Understand?"

Setting her face with false confidence, Ruby stared back and replied in what she hoped was a sure voice. "Yes."

They waited for several more moments, Cardin checking in with Russel and Sky in quiet whispers. Ruby took the time to look out into the forest, mind racing with thoughts. _The ruins? What could they possibly want there? There's nothing of value, Ozpin only used it as a landmark for our initiation. Its several kilometers from the school and hundreds of years old!_

A low whistle got her attention. She looked back to see Cardin leave the group and take the lead, moving over the edge of the cliff and sliding down the dangerous slope. The others moved to follow, quickly turning the cliffside into a dusty trail.

Pushing down her unease at entering a Grimm-infested forest at night, Ruby ran after them, carefully easing herself over the edge and sliding down the coarse dirt and rock.

It was many meters to the bottom, and Ruby struggled to remain on her feet as her boots carried her through jagged roots and rocks sticking out of the cliff. She picked up speed as she went, and considered pulling her scythe for support halfway down, but squashed the thought quickly. Dove's words suddenly seemed very relevant to her nervous head.

 _Stop acting helpless and maybe you'll get out of this._

She pushed on, lowering herself to the ground and riding out the remainder of the hill, sliding to a running stop at the bottom among a cloud of dust. After she caught up to the boys waiting at the bottom, they launched off into the forest, remaining in a tight group.

Ruby took a breath before following, sprinting into the dark tree line after them. She was no stranger to being in dangerous situations, but unease still crept up her spine as she fell into thick shadows, almost night underneath the canopy of leaves. The Emerald forest was anything but after the sun had set, replacing vibrant green leaves with black darkness not unlike the color of Grimm.

Visibility was low, yet enough to allow her to see ahead as the others shot through the brush and around trees in front of her. Cardin was almost out of sight in the lead, but his steady gait emanated confidence and purpose.

Sky followed wide on the left, his armor in shades of grey easily fading into the background, making him almost invisible, the steady beat of boots the best giveaway for his position. The shadow of his halberd only added to the jagged shapes in the darkness as he passed through the forest.

Russel remained in the center, seeming to be far more agile and comfortable with the terrain. At the same time Ruby could see his shoulders lined with stress, and his hands seemed to stay near the dust-filled daggers on his belt periodically.

On the right side, Dove followed more to the rear than not, his sword bouncing at his side, the larger grip that housed a firearm in addition to a blade continually bouncing against his armor. His head constantly scanned for danger as he moved, his tight fists at his sides showing Russel wasn't the only one concerned about being there.

Ruby took in all the information as she followed, cutting past trees and bushes alike in the fading light. She had never had the opportunity to inspect Team Cardinal so closely before, and the results were surprising. She had always assumed they were a close group of bullies who all shred the same thoughts, but as she had learned time after time for years, the way that people move in dangerous situations can tell a surprising amount about them.

And she was fascinated by what she saw. They weren't as alike as she had thought. It was clear that Russel and Dove may follow their leader, but weren't entirely comfortable with what he wanted. She wondered how her own team followed her in that regard, if there was any hesitance or doubt in their movements. She always led from the front, and could never see it so clearly like she could now.

The thought of her team made Ruby frown and push on harder, moving alongside Dove. They were the reason she was there in the first place. She had to protect Blake and Weiss from losing everything they had worked so hard to achieve, and keep the team together for the sake of Yang and herself.

The thought seemed out of place to her as time went on, the entire situation having drifted to the back of her mind. The quest into the Emerald forest had distracted her from the depth of danger to her team. It still frustrated her, almost to the point of asking.

Just what did Cardin want?

She put more and more thought into the question, leaving the forest and following the others as they sprinted through a large clearing, revealing the broken moon of Remnant peeking up from the horizon in the distance.

The more she considered the question, the more confused she became. He already had the power to tear Team RWBY apart and remove them from the rankings. And yet he hadn't yet told anyone so far apparently. Maybe he was trying to take them all down? Yang and herself might get out of the blast radius of the reveal in one piece. Perhaps he was trying to make her do something that would fix that as well. But what could Ruby possibly be punished for?

Ozpin's cane.

Ruby bit her lip in anger as pieces came together. Cardin was smart enough to know that losing their team would only make Y and R of RWBY work harder, who would still be a threat to him. But by taking down one or both of the sisters by making them commit an actual crime against a very noteworthy person… the team would be completely shattered. He would get everything he wanted in complete ease, all in one quick motion.

She slid back a few paces in contempt, letting the entire group move back in front of her. Locking her eyes on Cardin's back as they moved through the clearing, she resisted the urge to activate her semblance and launch a kick into the back of his head.

Ruby tensed her limbs and focused on the situation at hand. Dove had been right. Playing a helpless victim would just ruin everything she had gained at Beacon, and destroy her team as well. The only way to get out of this intact would be to play his game and learn how to win it.

Joining the others in scanning their flanks as they ran, Ruby glanced at the rising moon coming up above the forest and bathing it in white light.

Whatever they were out here for, she would do her job – and show Cardin Winchester that she wasn't going to be played with.

* * *

By the time they reached the ruins, the moon was high in the night sky and lit up the area far better than the fading sunlight.

Team Cardinal and Ruby exited the forest on the edge of the massive cliff, stopping where she had stood during initiation not too long ago, after decapitating an ancient Nevermore with the help of her new teammates.

Below them a hundred meters down rested a great network of ancient stone ruins, pillars and supports holding some structures together while others had fallen to pieces. Ruby clearly recognized the locations used in her last time there at a moment's glance. Beyond them, unexplored towers and halls seemed to stretch onwards to either side, with more unknowns hiding beneath thick grey mist.

Cardin turned around to face the others, discomfort with the area shown by the tight grip he held on his sheathed mace. "We're here."

Dove moved to the edge and looked down into the mist, face unsettled. A faint breeze picked up, lightly ghosting around the group as they waited.

"You sure it's here?" Sky asked gruffly from the side, visibly keeping his distance from the great cliff. "If we meet Grimm this place could get bad, very fast. And a rifle isn't going to do jack with that mist."

Ruby's eyes widened, an opportunity to take a little respect back for herself present in front of her. "I have a thermal lens," she interrupted, voice hesitant but strong. "I'll be able to see both you and Grimm down there."

Sky seemed nonplussed for a moment, taken aback at her speaking directly to him. He nodded at her with a firm expression before turning back to Cardin. "My point still stands. We're out at night and other than her, mostly melee-based. We can lose control of this very quickly."

"We're not gonna be here long," Cardin said quietly, eyeing his team. "We stay quiet as long as possible, find the passageway again, and do what we need to do."

 _Again?_ Ruby wondered.

" _Do not_ shoot unless necessary," the leader growled at her. "One round out of that thing and everything will go to hell. You're here as insurance, so don't do a thing until you're needed."

"Got it," Ruby muttered.

Cardin shifted towards Dove. "Keep in contact, let us know about any problems in advance. And don't let her out of your sight."

With that final order, he turned and went right, jogging to follow the cliffside as it slowly sloped down in the distance. Sky shot right after him, leaving Russel and Dove with her on the edge.

As their footsteps faded away, Russel shook his head in Dove's direction. "This is totally gonna go badly."

"Most likely," Dove replied evenly, fiddling with his sword.

Russel turned to Ruby, momentarily catching her by surprise. "You're our way out, shortstack. I know you don't wanna be here, but by the end of this you're gonna be real important. So keep that pretty little head on a swivel and don't let anything sneak up on us."

The two last members of Cardinal exchanged a nod before Russel slipped away into the brush after his team.

Ruby took a moment to breathe before gently making her way towards the edge of the cliff, and stopped a single meter before. Reaching back into her cloak, she unclamped Crescent Rose and unfolded it, loudly unsheathing the curved blade into its full menacing form. With a quick spin over her head, she firmly planted the blade in the loose dirt of the cliff, then raised the handle to her shoulder, grasping the pistol grip and foregrip to stabilize it.

She flicked on her optic's advanced settings and activated the thermal output, changing the dark lens before her into a world of grey. The optic on her sniper-scythe was actually the most valuable piece of the weapon, its small size making others think otherwise. It was a custom order from Atlas, costing her more than she wanted to ever pay, but its benefits were sometimes invaluable.

She still hadn't told Blake her shadow clones didn't show up on thermal during sparring. Maybe she'd enjoy her advantage for a little longer.

Gently zooming in, Ruby did a preliminary scan of the ghostly ruins, finding nothing but the dim grey color of terrain. She stuck out her tongue in concentration as she cycled through different settings, eventually ending up with a new level of zoom and zeroing distance.

"Sheesh, it's cold." The quiet complaint came from behind her, and Ruby glanced back to see Dove rubbing his arms where armor didn't cover them, shifting his stance from side to side.

"Try getting a cloak, they're super warm," she offered.

Dove glared at her with exasperation. "Yeah, I'll just go pick one up in Vale. Do you think they come in brown?"

Ruby rolled her eyes at the sarcasm, very used to receiving it from her own partner. Ignoring him as he began pacing, she returned to the lens and allowed herself to close one eye to focus.

She wasn't as comfortable as she looked. A pull of the trigger would attract everything in the area, and make a night on the forest into a life or death situation. But she had to make sure the others survived something unexpected, even if it gave them all away.

She swung Crescent Rose around to the right and stood firmly, scanning for her temporary teammates. A minute of silent panning and tilting dull stone paid off as three glowing white shapes suddenly appeared in the lens.

"They made it down," she informed the older boy.

"It's about time," he muttered, moving to stand next to her. "The sooner they get in there, the happier I'll be."

 _Get into where?_ She asked silently. A furtive glance to her side showed that Dove was looking for his teammates somewhere below, his mousey brown hair lightly moving in the breeze. She considered asking, going back and forth internally before deciding to risk it. "Are they entering the ruins?"

Dove looked over for a moment, before focusing on the ruins below once more. "Yeah. There's a network of passageways inside, we found them during initiation. Cardin's looking for one in particular."

"Why?" she asked curiously, internally begging for more information.

He hesitated, remaining silent for a few seconds. "It was hidden from sight," he revealed. "Like someone wanted to hide it. Inside was a locked door that looked almost new."

The revelation wasn't what Ruby was expecting. On one hand she just wanted to bury her unwilling companion in more questions. But the smarter side of her decided she had gotten enough information for the moment, yet it still made her wonder. The mission seemed like treasure hunting at this point, but Ruby doubted that was the case. The golden trim around Cardin's plating said enough about his financial situation. What could he possibly be after that would need blackmailed help and the risk of breaking school rules?

She shook her head to clear it and refocused on her optic, readjusting her stance to find the only heat signatures in the canyon before her. They were quick to find, moving along a low bridge just above the mist. While the shapes where pure white in color, their crispness allowed her to make out the details of their outlines. The one in back was clearly Sky judging by the large pointy object on his person, while the middle was the smallest of the trio, matching Russel's thinner frame. Therefore the leader was Cardin, as if she expected anything but.

"I can't see a thing," Dove broke in. "Where are they now?

"Crossing a bridge, about to enter one of the larger towers," she answered, not taking her eyes off of the group. They had finally entered unknown territory, and she was going to take her job very seriously. She began carefully combing the trio's surroundings for signs of Grimm. The creatures forms would traditionally show up as pure black on a thermal lens, meaning no heat whatsoever was present. At the moment, it was all clear.

A gruff voice broke in electronically, originating from Dove's scroll. " _We're almost to the main building, how are we looking?_ "

Dove glanced at her as he moved his scroll to his lips, to which she met with a quick shake of her head. "Nothing yet," he replied.

" _Keep it that way_ ," Cardin replied. " _We may lose connection as we go deeper, so don't be surprised if you lose us. Make sure Rose is actually watching us_."

"She's been tracking you the whole time."

" _Good. We'll check in before too long. Cardin out_."

Dove returned his scroll to his belt and eased himself to the ground, sitting with crossed legs directly next to Ruby. She felt uneasy at the close proximity but ignored it, focusing on Team CRL as they finally reached the end of the bridge and entered the tower, disappearing from view.

"They're inside," she informed her temporary partner, lowering Crescent Rose and relaxing her limbs from being locked in one positon.

"Great," Dove replied sarcastically. "Let's hope they hurry up so we can go somewhere less cold and dangerous."

Though she didn't answer, Ruby agreed completely.

A few minutes passed in silence, with her making periodic checks to see if Cardin had resurfaced on the lower levels. He hadn't yet emerged. She wasn't worried, grudgingly admitting that his team had talent in close quarters and would likely be fine.

A loud snap somewhere behind her made her tense, and she spun around to look into the forest from which they came. The shift of armor beside her indicated Dove had heard it too. She stared into the dark shadows, unsure of what to think.

Several long moments passed in silence, and Ruby brushed it off before returning to her weapon. The forest was no place to be at night, as she knew from experience. One Grimm could easily multiply to a thousand.

"Rose!" a harsh whisper broke the silence.

She looked at her the boy, and was alarmed to see him low to the ground, one hand carefully slipping his sword out from his belt. His eyes were locked on somewhere in the forest behind them.

"How many?" she asked in her leader tone, swiveling Crescent Rose around to face the dark trees.

A pair of red eyes glowed from the darkness, locked on the huntsman and huntress. Beside it, more and more faded into view, thin red streams of light flowing to the sides in the breeze. Several turned into dozens.

Horror slowly shot through her as their numbers increased, her skin growing chilled. Ruby shakily gripped her scythe in front of her, feet locked on the edge of the cliff.

One loud roar broke the night, echoing far in every direction.

And a sea of darkness erupted from the shadows.

* * *

Team CRDLR is interesting, right? It's very fun to give their team some of the depth they lack, giving them their own personalities and reasons for doing things.

Next chapter we'll continue on with the mission and also return to the rest of Team RWBY.

Thanks for reading! As always, throw me a review!

 **Update on Tuesday.**

\- ThunderApple


	7. Standoff

Welcome back!

* * *

Adrenaline shot through Ruby's tired limbs as the horde of Grimm charged out from the forest, too many to count.

She didn't have any time to think, swinging Crescent Rose behind her as the first of countless Beowolves leaped for her throat. Glowing red eyes lit up the rest of its face, elongated fangs stretched wide in a roar as they sailed towards her.

Ruby swung her scythe around, bisecting the creature's throat in a flash of rose petals. As the two pieces fell to the ground and began fading, two more Beowolves charged through the black ashes, white claws outstretched and seeking blood. Ruby narrowed her eyes and shot forward with her semblance, angling the scythe to the side as she went and slicing straight through one's midsection, before slipping around and repeating the process on the other one. Even after she took a breath, several more rushed her, cutting off her very limited space.

She backpedaled, swinging her weapon defensively as best as possible and trying to maintain her position with little luck. Limb and pieces of Grimm flew and faded to darkness around her in the low light, her eyes struggling to separate enemies from the night.

Her eyes quickly shot over to the sounds of combat beside her, where Dove shared her situation. Only a few meters from the cliffside, he was managing to wield his sword effectively in the tight space, but was clearly at a disadvantage even as he stabbed and slashed through the steadily surrounding Grimm. His face was twisted in pure fear at the numbers before them.

Ruby shared that fear. She was no stranger to being outnumbered by Grimm, the creatures often roaming in number near her mother's memorial. But now, they were an endless horde, countless eyes stretching deep into the shadows of the forest. Far more than she had ever seen at once.

They were at a complete and utter disadvantage. Fighting with their backs to a wall alongside an unfamiliar partner, forced to fight with melee weapons only for fear of attracting more Grimm and putting the others in danger, with nowhere to run.

Pushing down her terror for the moment, Ruby focused on the enemy before her, activating her semblance in full. She shot through the loose ranks of the Beowolves, scythe following and swinging mercilessly through form after form. Even without the boost of recoil from the rifle portion of her weapon, she was more than able to slice through countless amounts of the creatures.

Her unwilling terror slowly grew as more took the places of every one she killed. They seemed infinite, numbers only increasing as the battle went on. She glanced back at the abyss behind her, thinking of Cardin and his team still down in the ruins.

She had to make a choice. She could remain there and continue to distract the Grimm long enough for Cardin to finish his mission, likely at the cost of her life, or escape and leave the three others to their own fate.

It was her or them.

Even though she knew what choice to make it still made her grit her teeth in grievance. She didn't want to leave anyone behind. She made up her mind quickly.

"Dove!" She shouted over the roars. "We need to go!"

It took several more seconds of tense combat before she got a reply. "No! We can't! We need to—" his words changed to a grunt of pain midway through, and Ruby tried to look at him only to be blocked by several wolves slipping between them. She cut through one, leaping upwards and bringing her blade down through its neck.

She blinked desperately at her temporary partner, trying to keep tears out of her eyes. "If we don't get out of here then we're gonna die!"

Dove let out a scream of frustration, glancing back at her and revealing his expression of anguish. "I can't leave my team!"

Ruby looked back to the horde, mind racing. He wasn't going to leave. Things had escalated extremely quickly and now their lives were on the line. And he wouldn't leave without his team.

Deciding quickly what to do, she sprang towards Dove in a whirling leap, scythe tearing through several Beowolves in the process. She landed by his side and spun defensively, covering his flank from the countless attacks of dozens of claws.

"Call them!" she shouted. "I'll cover you!"

Dove looked at her in surprise, then nodded and stepped backwards to the edge of the cliff, giving Ruby more room to maneuver. She took his previous spot and continued swinging, using Crescent Rose's long reach to keep glowing jaws away from herself. Behind her she faintly heard a scroll open and buttons being pressed.

A minute of swings and semblance-fueled decapitations passed slowly. Ruby's arms were growing tired, her aura diminishing from constant unrelenting combat. She began to give ground a step at a time, getting closer and closer to the cliffside.

Dove's voice almost surprised her. "I can't get through!"

Ruby winced, realizing the interference inside the ruins was likely cutting off the call. They wouldn't be able to get through to Cardin since the problem was on his end.

She looked over her shoulder, eyes desperate. "They'll be okay! But we won't if we stay here!"

He seemed to agree, shoulders slumping at the realization that he couldn't help his team any longer. With a groan he leaped back into the fray, remaining a few meters to her side as he resumed stabbing and slashing any Grimm that got close.

Ruby looked around, taking stock of the situation. The Beowolves were seemingly endless and their numbers had seemed to only increase as the fight had gone on. The creatures themselves were manageable, but she was wearing down and Dove was probably as well. If they kept fighting they would eventually tire out and be torn apart.

They needed to escape.

An idea came to mind as she dodged a downwards swipe of claws, witnessing the scope of the beasts charging her. Among their oncoming forms was enough space for someone to run through if they were quick enough. If she used her semblance she might make it through and back to the large clearing she had passed through earlier. But that would leave Dove behind.

A part of her considered leaving him, the morbid understanding that he would likely fall to the wolves kind of satisfying. It would be one less person who knew the secrets of her team, taken down by the dangerous Grimm that walked the Emerald Forest. She might be able to escape without blame. And yet Cardin would probably survive, and spill everything as revenge for her not saving him.

Ruby knew she wasn't going to leave him behind well before she considered it. It wasn't her way to take lives if she could avoid it; it wasn't what a huntress would do. It wasn't what her mom would do.

Taking a deep breath between swings, she sidestepped to her overwhelmed partner and moved behind him, swinging an arm under his shoulder and grabbing him to her chest.

"What the hell Rose?!" he sputtered, stumbling at the movement as several Beowolves pushed forward.

Ruby focused her semblance, taking a moment to close her eyes even as claws came from three different sides. She took a deep breath and activated it.

The world slowed to a crawl. The fast shapes of Grimm became slow and clumsy, leaping through the air with muscles tensed. Around her several of them were mid lunge, claws outstretched and an arms-length away from her throat. Dove was almost frozen with a look of horror, eyes wide and sword desperately outstretched to defend himself.

Moving quickly, Ruby ran forward, pulling Dove behind her in his sluggish state. He was far heavier than she imagined, but she pulled him with everything she had, managing to keep him with her in one hand, while Crescent Rose trailed after her with the other.

She sprinted past Grimm after Grimm, entering the forest and carefully maneuvering between them and trees, all the while feeling her heartbeat going faster than she was comfortable with, and her limbs straining to maintain her movement. She had only once tried using her semblance with another person along for the ride, and that had nearly put both her and Yang in the hospital. Using it with the much heavier and bulkier Dove was really hard, making her aura strain to keep it up.

Holding in a groan of effort she pushed on, passing hundreds of Grimm as she went deeper into the forest. They eventually began to thin out, going from dozens at a time to only a couple among the shadows, forms in the middle of running towards the cliff. After a few minutes in Ruby's time she finally put enough distance between them and the ruins, ending up deep inside the shadowed forest. After seeing the area was clear, she let go of her speed.

Time came back to speed with a vengeance, slamming into Ruby's entire body and sending her to the ground with a scream of pain. She collapsed in a clumsy roll, landing on her front and sending a shocked Dove tumbling several meters in front of her along with her scythe. As the world spun from her spot on the forest ground Ruby whimpered in agony. She felt like needles were shoved into every muscle of her body.

Footsteps rushed towards her and the thin moonlight on her head became blocked. "Rose!"

She ignored him, shaking as she tried to recover. Her semblance was annoyingly built for her body: any additional weight put strain on her muscles and aura, one of the reasons Crescent Rose was designed to be as light as possible. Nearly doubling her combined weight with a full-grown boy had pushed beyond her limits. She felt her aura far lower than it should be, the energy taking its time as her body recovered.

"Hey, you with me?" Dove questioned in a rushed tone. "They're gonna catch up soon."

Ruby pushed herself upwards with great difficulty, managing to get to her knees. "I'm okay," she squeaked. "Give me a second."

"We don't have a second!" he complained.

She crawled forward on the soft ground, not quite ready to put more weight on her shaking legs. She reached her discarded weapon and fumbled to collapse it, eventually managing to get it back to rifle form. She stumbled to her feet with a suppressed whimper, wishing there had been another way to get away from the cliff.

Her attention went to Dove as he swung his sword in an angry gesture. "We need to loop around and meet up with Cardin. Together we stand a lot better chance out here."

She nodded her head and shouldered her weapon, accepting that her pain would be there for a while. "Going wide is our best option. There's far too many to fight alone."

"Then lets go!" he growled. "The longer we take the worse things are go—" he was cut off by a series of thumps.

Ruby froze, eyes moving from his face to the forest behind him. An Ursa broke out from the shadows the way they came, jaw stretched wide and aiming for Dove's head. He seemed to realize his mistake right after she did, slowly beginning to spin around. Even as he did, she knew he wouldn't make it in time.

The split second was all Ruby needed, acting on her training and raising Crescent Rose. She loosely aimed and pulled the trigger. The recoil knocked her backwards a step even as the round left the barrel and shot over Dove's shoulder, slamming through the Ursa's heart. The carcass began fading before it even hit the ground, accompanied by the earsplitting crack of the rifle as it echoed through the forest and into the night.

Silence followed the gunshot, as Dove looked from the fading Ursa to Ruby with a face of dismay. She looked back with her lips pressed firmly together in apology. They both knew what would happen now.

Howls and roars suddenly filled the night, coming from every direction. With that single gunshot to save his life, every Grimm within kilometers would be coming for their blood.

"We can't get to Cardin, not now," she said regretfully amongst the noise. "If we do they'll just overwhelm us all."

Dove looked down in apprehension, seeming to realize the same thing.

Ruby lowered her weapon and moved forward to stop right in front of him. "But we can keep their attention, long enough for him to finish his mission."

He met her eyes and stared calculatingly back at her.

"Will you help me?"

Dove nodded. Ruby let a small smile onto her face, the first she could recall in the presence of his team since everything had gotten complicated. She turned around and jogged for the clearing, hearing the longer stride of her partner right on her heels.

* * *

Yang stared at her scroll, now knowing how to feel.

When she had called Ruby a few hours earlier she had been expecting her light probing to have results. Instead, her sister had continued her series of lies. In the many years the two had spent together, Ruby had always gotten flustered enough to confirm whatever Yang wanted to know. This time, it was different. Whatever was going on had to be really important to her.

She opened her message app and shot one towards Blake, who had left to see if Ruby was telling the truth about her night. _Is she there?_

 _Not in the library or anywhere near. I'm still checking,_ came the quick reply. _She's lying._

Yang set the scroll down on her bed and crossed her arms as she looked at it. Things were piling up and worrying her more than it should. She and Ruby told each other almost everything, and trusted each other implicitly. And now she was lying to her face. It made her really uncomfortable. What was happening to her sister?

"Could we follow her?" Weiss asked from her spot in front of the window, back turned.

Yang frowned, considering the idea. It would probably be the fastest way to find out what they wanted to know. "We could, with her scroll."

Weiss pivoted around and stared at her in thought. "Why are you hesitant? I thought you wanted to jump right into the problem and deal with it."

"I've dealt with her for years, snowflake," she replied, meeting her blue eyes. "And whatever this is, it feels different."

"So let's go help her through it," Weiss said with a warm smile. "Do you have a better idea?"

Yang let out a chuckle, grabbing her scroll and heading to the door. "Fine. You coming?"

Weiss's smile grew and the heiress moved past her, opening the door and walking off down the hallway. Yang shut it behind her and jogged to catch up to her teammate's purposeful march. She took a moment to send an update towards Blake, telling her what they were doing, then turned to the girl in white.

"You gonna do it or what?" she asked, knocking her shoulder.

"Of course!" Weiss answered indignantly, unclipping her own scroll and opening it as they walked. She accessed their team status information and scrolled over to Ruby, activating the tracking feature for her scroll. A few seconds passed before a blinking light appeared on a map of Beacon Academy, not far from the dormitories. "It looks like she's in the locker rooms."

Yang took the lead, widening her stride and quickly outpacing her. "Then let's get there and figure this all out."

"Wait!" Weiss yelled, jogging to stay with her.

They quickly made their way through the dorms and into the neighboring building. The dormitories were thankfully directly next to the locker rooms and practice halls, allowing students to train with ease. Yang led the way into the women's section towards their own team lockers, the place where Ruby's locating beacon had been waiting for the last few minutes.

Blake met up with them at the entrance, the black-haired girl frowning slightly. She didn't say a word as she fell into step beside Weiss.

They turned the corner to their lockers, expecting to find Ruby in one of many bizarre situations. Instead, they were confronted with an empty hall and a white scroll resting atop the brown bench in front of the red-cloaked girl's locker.

Weiss let out a long sigh and leaned back against the wall. "Of course that idiot forgot it."

"The one time we use it to track her," Blake chuckled, moving towards it.

Yang followed, heading towards her sister's locker instead. The only reason that Ruby would need to be in the locker rooms was for Crescent Rose. If It was gone then she would have a very good idea of where to look for her next. It wasn't rare for her to spend hours in the school's machine shop working on her equipment, but even if that were the case she would have told them.

She keyed in the passcode she knew from constant energetic babbling and opened it, curiously looking inside. An almost-empty locker greeted her, the only contents being a haphazardly folded school uniform.

Yang's hands balled into fists. She could see Ruby taking her weapon out for maintenance or something of the like, but her combat outfit too? That was out of the norm, especially at such a late hour long after the practice arenas and shooting ranges were closed for the night.

She shut it and turned to her partner, who was searching through Ruby's scroll. "Anything?"

Blake's eyes were narrowed in concentration as she thumbed through different applications. "Nothing at all. No odd messages or calls. I can't find anything unusual."

"She's either hiding this really well or there's nothing on there," Weiss blew air out from her lips next to them. "And we all know how good Ruby is at hiding things."

"Crescent Rose is gone, her gear too," Yang informed.

The information made the other two pause, the same conclusions going through their heads.

"Ruby leaves late at night, takes her equipment and weapon, and leaves her scroll?" Weiss asked in a worried tone. "This just gets more and more complicated, and I don't like it."

A sudden ringtone made them all jump, and Yang touched her own scroll on reflex, finding it dark. She looked over to see the scroll in Blake's hands alight with an incoming call. The faunus looked down in confusion as Weiss raised an eyebrow alongside her.

"I don't recognize the number," Blake said in a low tone.

"Accept it. Maybe we can get something we can use from whoever it is," Weiss demanded.

Amber eyes flicked towards Yang, seeming to ask for permission. Yang gave a slight nod. Blake touched the screen and accepted the call, activating the device's external speaker so they all could hear.

"Ruby Rose?" a female voice asked formally.

Weiss suddenly froze across from her. Yang looked over in confusion, seeing the heiress's face loose some color and her eyes look panicked. It almost looked like she recognized the caller's voice.

Blake looked between the two, silently asking what to do. Yang hesitated for a moment, the urgency of the situation catching up with her. Her sister was acting out of the norm and now an unknown number was asking for her. It was time to get answers. She pulled the scroll from her partner's hands.

"This is Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby's sister," she answered in an accusatory voice. "Who is this?"

The caller didn't answer immediately, and Yang's anger quickly grew. When the reply did come it was in a clipped tone and stiff with purpose.

"This is Winter Schnee. Is Miss Rose available? I would like to speak with her."

* * *

Thanks for reading, please review!

\- ThunderApple


	8. 10 Minutes

Look who's back with surprises and content!

* * *

Yang hesitated for a moment, the urgency of the situation catching up with her. Her sister was acting out of the norm and now an unknown number was asking for her. It was time to get answers. She pulled the scroll from her partner's hands.

"This is Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby's sister," she answered in an accusatory voice. "Who is this?"

The caller didn't answer immediately, and Yang's anger quickly grew. When the reply did come it was in a clipped tone and stiff with purpose.

" _This is Winter Schnee. Is Miss Rose available? I would like to speak with her."_

* * *

The three members of RWBY stared at the scroll in surprise, the caller being very far from what they expected. Blake raised an eyebrow in bewilderment, while Yang just looked on with a dumbfounded face. Weiss looked half terrified and half shocked with her mouth half open in a failed attempt at speaking. A few moments passed in complete silence, the spacious locker room suddenly feeling very empty.

 _"Ms. Xiao-Long, was it?"_ the voice from the scroll asked impatiently. " _Are you currently present_?"

Yang sputtered and shot her head between her teammates, not finding anything helpful between them. "Uhh… yes! I'm here."

Winter let out an almost silent huff of annoyance. _"Did you hear my question? I would like to speak with Ms. Rose if at all possible."_

Yang took a moment to re-center herself, eyes narrowing at the frozen Weiss next to her. She angrily pointed at Weiss and then the scroll, only to have the heiress shake her head in panic. Yang raised her hands in frustrated questioning and turned back to the scroll. "Ruby isn't here right now, sorry about that. What do you need her for?"

 _"That is unfortunate,"_ Winter said smoothly. _"I apologize, but our conversation is private and it is not my place to speak about it without her approval. If you could please have her call me at this number as soon as she returns, I would sincerely appreciate it."_

"I can do that," Yang replied slowly, foot tapping in thought.

 _"Then I thank you for your time,"_ Winter said in the same business-like tone, cutting off the call.

The three teenagers looked at the silent scroll for a moment, taking in what just happened. Only a few seconds went by before Yang slowly swiveled on Weiss with intense eyes. "What the hell, Weiss?" she demanded as she placed down Ruby's scroll. "If we were gonna get any answers from her, it was gonna be with you talking to her!"

The heiress avoided eye contact and backed away from the questioning in a timid way that was very unlike her. "I-I'm sorry! I just didn't expect that call to be from her of all people!"

"This is making my head hurt." Blake muttered from beside them. "The more we look into this the more confusing it gets. Leave it to Ruby to be part of a secret that makes absolutely no sense."

"It runs in the family," Yang answered with a frustrated grin. She slowly sat down on the bench in front of the locker and looked at Weiss again, "Who was that?"

"Her older sister, Winter Schnee. Not part of Schnee Dust, joined the Atlesian Military when she was old enough. Rank of Specialist, currently an officer serving directly under General James Ironwood. Assignments to Haven and Atlas at differing intervals," Blake recited quickly.

Yang and Weiss stared at the former White Fang operative in surprise, who shrank down and averted her eyes. "She was high-value target for my previous employers. And a very big problem to look out for."

"Blake is correct," Weiss said quietly. "I do apologize for freezing, but Winter is basically the last person I ever expected to be secretly calling Ruby. My father calling to ask her for advice would probably make more sense."

"Any ideas on what they could be talking about?" Yang asked, crossing her legs in preparation for a long conversation. "You sure Rubes isn't working with her to plan a surprise birthday party for you?"

Weiss's eyes hardened. "This is much more serious, Yang. Winter isn't the type of person to take pleasure calls for party planning. I highly doubt she would be involved in a conversation with Ruby of all people unless the subject matter was very important."

"Why would Winter Schnee call Ruby in the first place?" Blake questioned. "Or perhaps Ruby contacted her first? Then again, I don't see how she would obtain Winter's contact information."

Yang chuckled darkly. "Don't underestimate my sister. She has her ways."

A long groan of frustration suddenly interjected into the conversation. Yang and Blake turned to look at Weiss who leaned back against the lockers with her head in her hands. The two looked at each other and then back at the heiress.

"What is it?" Blake asked curiously.

"I happened to suddenly and inexplicably misplace something earlier, remember Blake?" Weiss muttered from behind her hands. "Do you remember what it was?"

Blake frowned before sighing and shaking her head. "She took your scroll, and probably found Winter's personal scroll number."

"Yep." Weiss mumbled.

Yang focused on the floor, taking in all of the information. The more she heard the more worried she was. Ruby had somehow gotten herself into something very large, and for her own sanity she needed to find her wayward sister and get all the answers out of her.

She stood up and crossed her arms, ready to go do something about it. "Weiss, do you have any idea what Ruby and your sister could be talking about?"

Weiss shook her head. "Not a clue. Again, if anything it will be a subject of importance."

"And you aren't up for calling her back and asking?"

The heiress blanched. "Preferably not, no. Even if I did she probably wouldn't tell me."

Yang nodded. "Then we're done here. Now we find Ruby, wherever she may be. It's a lot easier to get answers from her than spend more time being confused. So let's get back on track – any ideas where a fully armed and equipped Ruby would secretly go to at night when everything is closed?"

"Breaking school rules is incredibly risky anywhere on school grounds," Blake responded. "And Ruby isn't stupid. She would have to be outside of Beacon, but still nearby. And I can think of only one place where a weapon would be needed."

"To the Emerald Forest then. Let's gear up," Yang growled and made her way to her own locker nearby. As she opened it and was greeted with the shine of Ember Celica's metal braces, her insides swirled in trepidation.

 _Oh Rubes, what the hell did you get into?_

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch was the aide to Beacon Academy's headmaster and an accomplished huntsman in her own right. She taught a variety of classes at the school and was the utmost authority on practical combat. She had won countless awards and commendations in her career and had a reputation across all of Remnant.

So why did she put up with janitor duty?

Glynda blew air between her lips as she slowly made her way through Beacon's many elegant courtyards, using her semblance to brush aside leaves and the occasional trash left over from students. Her riding crop would swish quickly in her hand, throwing plastic into waste bins and centering wayward tables. It was her weekly duty and the only one she truly disliked.

It wasn't truly difficult, only slightly annoying to be given the task of cleaning up after others. Ozpin's frustratingly correct point that she was the most efficient one for the job only served to irk her.

Still, she did enjoy a late-night walk through the school grounds. Seeing the incredible architecture and gardens in moonlight was certainly incredible and a welcome finale to a day of teaching teenagers the art of combat for a career of violence and death.

Throwing her crop out once more, Glynda cast a wave of wind at a line of shrubbery, watching as a few cans and trash blew out in a chaotic swirl. Walking among the tornado of trash, she brushed the cans aside for recycling and aimed used napkins at the nearest waste bin, before seeing a crumpled pile of torn paper fall to the ground before her. She stopped for a moment, recognizing handwriting on the front.

Bending down to pick it up, she brushed a layer of dirt off and was presented with the pieces of a stapled paper covered in chaotic handwriting. While damaged and disorganized, the handwriting on the damaged paper was still very recognizable to her. Glynda sifted through the many pieces and confirmed her suspicions, finding the name Ruby Rose scrawled at the top of one. It appeared to be a long academic paper for one of her classes, and Glynda quickly found Peter Port's class number aside Rose's name, with a recent date.

"This is interesting," she hummed, eyeing the aggressive tearing of each paper, and the high quality of writing still legible. "I'll have to speak with Peter about this. Perhaps the assignment was not up to her standards, or perhaps Ms. Schnee felt that way instead."

She folded the torn papers and continued her task of tidying up the many outdoor areas of Beacon Academy.

* * *

Speed was their one and only saving grace.

Ducking under branches and weaving through thick brush, Ruby and Dove moved as quickly as possible, staying at a decent sprint even with their energy reserves damaged from the previous fight. They remained close to each other, with Ruby taking the lead and forging a path while Dove followed only a few stops behind her.

Their speed was the only thing keeping them alive. Among the shadows behind them countless shapes roared and trampled the forest in chase, made up of hundreds of Beowolves. Far more then they could possibly handle in any situation. Others only continued to join as they kept running, drawn by the recent gunshot from Crescent Rose and the fury of the hunt.

While she was still sore and in some amount of pain from overusing her semblance, Ruby wished that she could outrun her pursuers and return to Beacon. But she had already made her choice to stand alongside Dove and help his team do what they came for, even if it put their lives at risk.

"They're gaining!" Dove shouted behind her over the mismatched roars of Grimm. "Do you have a plan?!"

Ruby darted into a gully and shoved her way through the bushes within, vaulting up onto the other side and resuming her sprint. She looked back for a second, long enough to give a panting reply. "Find high ground, hold them as long as we can!"

Dove managed to copy her route and caught up to run alongside her. He shot a quick grimace in her direction to show his thoughts with the plan. Ruby returned it with an apologetic shrug and her own grimace. The situation was terrible by anyone's standards.

They continued moving under the trees in darkness, slowly making their way up an incline. To be honest Ruby had lost her sense of direction a while ago, and the thick cover of trees made finding the moon very difficult. She only hoped that she could find somewhere they could defend if even for a few minutes. As the thought of time came to her she glanced sideways at her partner.

"How long do they need? We've excited the Grimm and have their full attention! They should have a clear shot to do whatever they need to do with that stupid door!"

Dove stumbled at the question, regaining his footing quickly and looking back at her in panicked thought. "Hopefully Cardin's leaving by now, but they still need to climb out of the ruins, and if they're seen by Grimm they won't make it!"

Ruby gritted her teeth and grumbled. "Ten minutes! I think that's all the time we can buy them before we become Beowolf food!"

The Cardinal member nodded and kept running. With a rustle from the brush a Beowolf suddenly leapt at them from the side, claws outstretched for Ruby. Dove slid to the side and swiped through it's form as he passed, slicing straight through the creature's midsection. The upper body missed Ruby by a small fraction before toppling into the dirt, already fading to darkness. Ruby exhaled her momentary panic and sent a thankful glance towards him.

Behind him, a different color was visible through the trees, something different than the dark green and black she had gotten used to. The dark gray of stone stood out to her, shadowed with small lines and edges.

"Go to the right!" she ordered, turning ahead of Dove. She heard his footsteps change course to follow and she shot forward through the trees, eyes locked on her goal. She erupted from the brush to find herself in a wide grassy area, with the remains of an old ruin before her half sunken into the ground. Tall stone pillars stood tall in a line, supporting a narrow and cracked stone platform on top of them. Being many meters off the forest ground, it might be enough to save their lives.

"We'll hold up there!" Ruby shouted and pointed at the platform. Dove didn't bother replying, sprinting past her and vaulting onto the side of one of the pillars, stabbing his sword into the old stone and using it as a handgrip. He reached into his boot with his free hand and pulled out a small dagger, then stabbed it in above the sword. In a quick motion he began to pull himself upwards, using his blades as a ladder.

Ruby wished for a moment that she carried a secondary weapon. It looked handy. Smacking herself back into focus she sprinted forward as well, activating her semblance momentarily and using the speed to run up the side of another pillar much like she had done at her initiation. She released it at the top of the platform, landing on her feet with a large wince of pain. Her aura was still very low.

"Ten minutes," Dove said meaningfully from next to her. His face was set in focus as he rested his sword on his left bracer, aiming the built-in pistol at the forest below.

"Ten minutes," Ruby agreed, checking Crescent Rose's chamber and readjusting her footing.

Their pursuers rushed out of the darkness before them, entering the grassy clearing and being bathed with moonlight. The tide of Beowolves charged for them in a scattered offense, claws unsheathed and jaws gaping.

Dove opened fire with his blade's pistol, cutting down the first ones out of the trees with decent accuracy. Ruby followed his example, locking down Crescent Rose in the stone beneath her and emptying her magazine into the oncoming horde. The loud reports of gunfire only seemed to enrage the pack, as they started rushing with even more fervor. The first ones started reaching the base of the pillars, and they shoved their claws into the stone and began climbing, red eyes promising carnage at the top.

Ruby swapped magazines and slid to the side as the first Beowolf reached up, swinging her scythe above her head and removing the arms of her prey. The Beowolf let out a screech of pain and fell backwards off the pillar, crushing two of his pack as he fell. Several more wolves moved to follow his example, dozens starting the climb on each pillar beneath them.

Swinging her Rose in a circle, Ruby moved backwards towards Dove as she cut down wolves climbing up onto the platform not unlike a defender in an ancient castle. Limbs were the first to go in large numbers, but as more Beowolves began to reach the top at the same time midsections began to join the fading pieces of Grimm flying from the ruins. Ruby had her tongue stuck out as she swung her weapon, far to concentrated to check on her partner. A single moment of distraction might get them both killed.

As dozens began to climb atop before her, she inwardly groaned at needing to use her semblance again. Activating it quickly, she went into an incredibly fast spin with her scythe sticking out blade first and slowly moved down the platform, vivisecting untold amounts of Grimm. She reached the end and released her focus, the painful jolt back to reality make her stumble and lose her balance. She felt light-headed the world was suddenly quiet. Her vision swam and went lopsided as her aura became dangerously low. Her foot slowly drifted off the platform and she started to fall towards the ground, where dozens of hateful red eyes awaited her.

Something gripped the collar of her dress and roughly yanked her back, causing Ruby to jolt into the real world once more and stumble backwards. She saw a shape beside her and looked up to see Dove hastily reloading his pistol even as more Beowolves clawed their way onto the platform. Ruby gripped Crescent Rose as tightly as possible and prepared to resume fighting.

An ear-splittingly deep roar broke out over the howls of the wolves, who suddenly quieted and slowed down their movements. Ruby held her breath at the sudden interruption, half hoping for a rescue.

As a whole, the pack of Beowolves receded, their ears lowering in submission and their claws retracting from the ruins. The pack turned and began fleeing the area the way they came, leaving their fallen to fade into oblivion behind them.

Ruby began shaking in terror, Crescent Rose quietly tapping against the stone beneath her from her tightly clenched hands. Her wide eyes went to Dove who slowly moved backwards in despair, lips moving in a silent prayer. Grimm were made of pure darkness, and they never ran from humans… they only bowed to something greater, something darker.

Dull thumps became audible, coming from the opposite side of the ruins. Ruby turned in fear, seeing a dull red glow making its way up the hill. She shakily raised Crescent Rose to aim at the source even as every instinct she had told her to run.

Red eyes mantled the hill, small but locked directly on them. A massive form of darkness rose with them, several men tall, with white protrusions of bone covering most of the black body. Scars and cracks covered the armor-like bone covering, and several large arrows were still shoved deep inside. Large paws moved the creature forward at a slow pace, fronted with five massive white claws on each one.

The Ursa Elder lowered its head at them and growled deeply, the deep sound seeming to shake the very ground and resonate within Ruby's very body.

Ruby wanted to run. Her body, her mind, every ounce of instinct she had told her to run as far as she could. She knew what was in front of her, she had researched it even! Elders were Grimm who lived for centuries, who grew in their power, intelligence and evil to the point that they were nigh unstoppable. And the one before her was a textbook example of a fight that cannot be won.

Her shaking and tired legs already told her what would happen next. She was too tired to keep going for long and her aura was used up. There wasn't any chance of her making it out of the forest alive. No matter what choice she made next, she would die. Tears came to her eyes at the revelation, fueled by sadness of that fact. She didn't want to leave her friends and family, not yet. She didn't have a choice about her fate anymore. But… maybe Dove did.

"Dove," She whispered, not taking her eyes off of the Elder. "Go."

A moment of shock followed her order before Dove shouted back in a whisper. "I'm not gonna leave you here! That's an Elder!"

"I don't have the energy to get back," Ruby replied sadly, tears dropping down onto the barrel of Crescent Rose. "But you do. If I survive against it for a couple minutes you can get back to Beacon."

Silence followed her point. She knew what was going through Dove's mind. He was weighing his own life against hers and was reaching the conclusion that one life lost was better than two. She was glad he had enough heart to try to save her life, but in the end he needed to go.

Dove growled in frustration and kicked the platform underneath them "I am so done with this!" he complained with a yell. "Immortal people, hidden secrets, now Elder Grimm! I'm so done. I am not okay with getting people killed for Cardin's screwed-up plan!"

He reached behind his back and into one of his pouches, pulling out a small cylinder. He took it in both hands and aimed it upwards before pulling a latch on the bottom. A blindingly-bright red flare shot up out of it and into the sky high above them, a clear distress signal visible for dozens of kilometers in any direction. He looked at her and set his shoulders. "I don't care how much we get punished, or if Cardin bashes my face in. I'm not gonna do the opposite of what a huntsman would do. We're both leaving here alive."

Ruby met his gaze with part terror and part wonder, heart warmed at his declaration. Maybe Team Cardinal had some hope after all. She looked up at the flare high above them, knowing it would be in plain sight of Beacon and would be very hard not to notice. Maybe she might actually survive.

The Elder Ursa growled and started towards them, casting ominous red light and shadows throughout the ruins.

"So…" Ruby began weakly. "Any ideas on how not to die for the next few minutes?"

Dove let out a laugh that was half pain and half amusement. "Don't let it touch you, I guess?"

The Ursa broke into a charge and ran for them, enormous jaws split in a roar that promised blood. Ruby shouldered her scythe and unleased rounds into the oncoming form, panic growing as each bullet failed to pierce the outer armor. Dove's rounds did the same, merely ricocheting off the white bone.

The Grimm Elder wasted no time, slamming through the center pillar below them and throwing the entire structure to the side as it collapsed. Ruby's feet left the platform and she gasped in panic before she crashed into the ground on her left shoulder. She struggled to her feet and raised her weapon, firing more rounds into the Elder as he broke through the remains of the pillars and charged for her. Her shots did nothing to slow the charge, and she was forced to dodge to the side as it reached her. An outstretched claw sliced through her leg as she did, tearing through her stocking and deep into her thigh.

Ruby cried out in pain as she landed, crawling to her feet and trying to keep the fallen pillars between herself and the Elder. Her thigh burned with pain as she moved, joined by the strain in her shoulder and the ache in her limbs. She wouldn't last much longer.

The Elder Grimm jumped on top of the fallen stone to her dismay, roaring in fury at her continuing survival. She backed away in fear, hastily loading her last magazine. The creature jumped down before her and outstretched his claws as Ruby desperately tried to chamber a round.

Out of time, she raised Crescent Rose horizontally in an attempt to block the blow. The claws impacted on the high-quality metal and tore right through it, shredding the scythe before her eyes even as she was shoved to the ground. Ruby watched in horror as her pride and joy bent and split into hundreds of pieces, thousands of lien and hours of work destroyed in a single moment. Her only defense was gone.

The claws continued downward, smashing into Ruby's torso and driving the wind out her against the dirt. A thin red wisp lit and then faded above her dress, the last breath of her aura protecting her against the otherwise fatal attack. She gasped and tried to breathe, watching the Elder raise his claws for a final blow.

Dove's blade swiped through the claws, cleanly slicing off two of them as the perfect moment showed a gap with no armor. The Elder lurched back with a screech of agony, roaring at them with carnal rage. Dove stumbled to stand before Ruby, hands shakily holding his sword.

Ruby tried to say something but the pain in her chest made it only a gasp for air. Dove glanced back to give her a small smile just as the Elder leaped. She could only watch as the other student dodged the blow and went for another slice, only to be bashed into the side of a pillar. A flash of light blue aura covered his body before fading away completely, showing he had none left. Ruby reached into the pieces of Crescent Rose, fumbling to find anything she could use as a weapon, desperate to help the other student.

The Elder shot forward and brushed aside the CRDL member's meager sword defense, pinning him to the side of the pillar and shoving his remaining claws deep into Dove's chest. Ruby let out a silent scream of horror as Dove's features twisted in agony and fright, and he strained at the claws in an attempt to remove them. Pushing forwards, the Elder Ursa shoved them deeper and then pulled downwards, yanking them out of the boy with a growl of disdain.

Dove collapsed to his knees, hands clutching at gaping wounds in his chest. His eyes met Ruby's one more time, filled with purpose; before he fell to the ground and lay unmoving.

Ruby watched in terror, frozen at the sight of her only ally dying before her. He didn't stir, even as blood started to soak the dirt around him, reflecting in dark color from the light of Remnant's shattered moon.

The Elder slowly turned to her, Red eyes unchanged and claws covered in blood. Ruby struggled to sit up among the pieces of her greatest achievement, fear mixed with a sort of acceptance of her fate. Had this been how her mother died? Crawling in the dirt, helpless to save herself, as the bodies of others surrounded her? She remembered how it felt when her mother didn't come back, the hole it had left in the life of everyone. Stomps of hate moved towards her, and Ruby could only think of her family. Of her father, crying alone. Of her sister, lost to rage. Of her uncle, finally broken.

A bird's loud caw splitting the night brought her out of her thoughts, even as the Ursa reached her and stared down menacingly. Ruby looked to the side in curiosity, searching her surroundings until she found the small beady eyes of a Raven watching her from a tree in the nearby forest. The bird's head was cocked to the side, seemingly watching what would happen next.

Ruby stared back. A glint of metal before her caught her eye, and she looked downwards. Several meters away, Dove's sword rested in the grass, still in one piece.

The Raven cawed again, bringing Ruby's eyes back up to it. The bird shuffled its feathers and glared at her, seeming agitated. Ruby took that one moment, letting everything sink in. The moon above her, shattered in thousands of pieces. Crescent Rose below her, torn into just as many. And the sword across the grass, still whole. She made up her mind.

The Elder brought his paws up and slammed downwards on her fallen form. Ruby tensed her tired body and rolled to the side as it hit, wincing as the shockwave of the blast propelled her across the grass. She landed on her side in a clumsy roll and managed to grasp the hilt of Dove's blade, bringing the metal blade up before her shaking form and facing down the Grimm.

"I'm going home tonight," she whispered, eyes sparking with streaks of white.

* * *

This turned out to be way longer than I thought it would be, but I can't complain.

Anyways, thanks for reading! Please Review, it really gives me inspiration to keep writing!

\- ThunderApple


	9. The Search

And we're back to weekly updates! Enjoy.

* * *

Black heels loudly made their way down Beacon's staff corridor on the far side of the campus. Office after office was passed quickly, most of them having their doors shut and lights off within due to the late hour. The school's academic offices for their professors had always been the favored place for instructors to work, offering an incredible view of the Emerald Forest from atop their perch in the rounded tower near the back of the grounds.

Glynda often preferred them herself, especially the courtyard atop the structure covered in elegant flowers and always having a consistent warm breeze. However, this time she was there on business, seeking out one office in particular.

She inwardly sighed as she circled through the tower to the top floor, annoyed by the sheer size of the offices and the long walk that was needed to get where she wanted to go. Climbing up the second-to-last flight of stairs, she reached the highest floor where both Beacon's most iconic professors and herself worked after classes. Taking a breath, Glynda strode forward, seeking one in particular.

Peter Port, the school's Grimm subject matter expert, could almost always be found in his office on a weekday either grading student work or boasting about past quests to his colleagues. And this night was no different, as light was clearly visible from behind his closed blinds beside the door.

Glynda stopped in front of the dignified wooden door and rapped loudly with the back of her hand, the other clutching her recently discovered student essay. She waited a few moments with a slight tap of her foot, impatient to get on with her duties for the night. Hopefully the conversation wouldn't take long, but knowing Peter she would likely be there for at least an hour.

The mahogany gateway opened, revealing Peter with his jacket unbuttoned and a pen in his hand. He smiled as they made eye contact and his mustache quirked upwards with his lips.

"Glynda! What a pleasant surprise! Please, do come in!" he offered jovially, stepping aside to allow her in.

Goodwitch exhaled and accepted the invitation, striding past him and into the high-ceilinged room. Against the far wall a large window showcased the wide expanse of the Emerald Forest in the distance, lit by moonlight. Covering the walls were trophies and relics from the Professor's past ranging from pieces of Grimm to unknown objects such as a large spoon mounted on a plaque. Many bookshelves lined the walls filled with scrolls and tomes. His desk was against the side of the room, covered in papers and open books.

She stopped firmly in the center of the room before turning to her colleague right as he shut the door. "I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, Peter. I just wanted to ask about something."

"Nonsense!" he chuckled, moving to a bookshelf and pulling out a small bottle of alcohol along with two glasses. "You know I enjoy the company. What can I do for you?"

Glynda raised the damaged essay in front of her, studying the front once more. "I discovered this paper torn into pieces and lodged into a bush on the other side of the grounds. It is signed and written by Ruby Rose, and appears to be one of your assignments."

Peter slowed down, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity and placing the alcohol on his desk. He walked up to her and pulled the paper from her hands, holding it closely to his face and inspecting it closely. "A lost paper? It must be quite old indeed. I can't even recall the last assignment Miss Rose failed to turn in."

"It's dated for only a few days ago, actually," Glynda informed him. "I personally found it odd to find it damaged and hidden away, especially considering that it appears to be of high quality from what I can tell."

She didn't get an answer immediately. Peter appeared deep in thought, sifting through the pages and scanning the text. His brow furrowed as he went on.

"I thought I would ask you about it, especially if she never turned it in," she continued. "She clearly did the work and deserves some credit for it."

Peter looked up at her, eyes narrowed in befuddlement. "I assigned this paper three weeks ago, Glynda. The topic is on Grimm Migration: the student must select a variation of Grimm and report on its movements throughout a standard year."

"And?" she asked, sensing there was more to it.

"Miss Rose turned it in on time. I have her essay on my desk, even." He turned and moved towards the messy workspace with slow steps.

Glynda frowned at the revelation. "So she wrote another draft. I suppose that makes sense. Miss Schnee probably wasn't satisfied with the first and demanded an even better one. I may have to speak with her at some point."

"Glynda." Peter glanced at her with doubt on his face. "Her second draft is much worse. It barely avoided failing the assignment, and that's even after I was overly kind with points."

The discovery made her pause. The story of the paper had only grown more complicated. She had been expecting problems from Schnee, but at the same time Glynda was confident that the heiress would never allow her partner to turn in a sub-par essay, therefore ruling out the girl causing problems.

"This damaged paper is exactly what I wanted," Peter went on. "I can clearly see many citations and references, which the second draft had little of. It seems that this essay was far superior to the one that was turned in."

"So why was it torn up and thrown away?" Glynda asked curiously. "It almost seems like sabotage."

Peter leaned against the desk and stroked his mustache. "Perhaps. Whatever the case, there is clearly something going on with Miss Rose that needs to be addressed. For the moment though, I will piece together the better paper and grade it accordingly. It is only fair that she receives the correct grade."

Glynda nodded with conviction. She would be sure to speak with the young prodigy privately as soon as possible. Whatever problem the young girl had could be fixed quickly and effectively. "I'll talk with her soon. Any issue she is hav-"

She trailed off as a bright red light illuminated the office, originating from the office's expansive window. She stepped past Peter and marched to it in time to see a solitary red flare soaring up above the Emerald Forest, turning it into a sea of crimson trees.

"That's a distress flare." She declared in a focused tone, scanning the forest below.

Peter jogged over to join her, eyeing the flare. "What madness! Whoever is out there surely has a death wish at this time of night!"

The office's lights dimmed and a two-tone alarm came to life. Glynda tensed up and shared a dismayed look with Peter, before making her way for the door as quickly as possible. Beacon's defense alarm was designed for the immediate protection of the school and had never been needed before, only used for the rare drill. Its activation was a very bad sign.

She yanked open the door and made her way for the stairs, worry growing as she faintly heard the engines of a Bullhead VTOL coming to life nearby. Heavy footsteps joined hers, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Peter right behind her, his Blunderbuss firmly gripped in his hands. "Madness or not we're both needed. I'm with you, my friend."

Glynda nodded in appreciation and led the way down, while worry churned in her gut. Something was very wrong.

* * *

The Emerald Forest was more quiet than it deserved to be.

Even in her combat outfit and with Myrtenaster firmly in her hand, Weiss was uncertain and uncomfortable among the shadowed trees. They were steadily breaking more and more rules by being there and part of her wanted to abandon her team and return to safety. But it was her partner out there, mixed up in something unknown that even involved her own family. She had to be there whether she liked it or not.

"How do we even know she is out here?" Weiss asked quietly, walking closely behind Yang. "This is Ruby we're talking about, she could be literally anywhere in Beacon."

"We don't," Yang muttered as she pushed through bushes. "But its out best lead right now and we're sticking with it."

Weiss bit her lip at the response. She knew Yang well enough to identify the concern for her sister hidden in the short reply. She was clearly increasingly worried for Ruby's safety as time went on and things continued to look worse.

"Do you think Blake will find anything?" she asked carefully. The other teammate in black had broken off from them at the start of the forest, putting her tracking skills and experience to good use while the other two started into the forest and looked for signs.

Yang scoffed. "If any of us are gonna find something, it'll be her."

Weiss nodded slightly and went back to scanning her environment, unsure of what to expect from the massive forest. In day it was already filled with Grimm; she assumed it got much more hazardous at nightfall.

A soft ringtone broke the quiet march. Weiss stopped and watched as Yang pulled out her scroll and accepted the call, turning on the speaker for her benefit.

" _Break two hundred meters to your left_ ," Blake's voice came through. " _I've found a trail_."

The call terminated quickly, and Yang darted off to the side, scroll still in hand. Weiss started to complain before she closed her mouth and ran after her teammate, dodging through bushes and low branches in dim lighting. She tracked the brawler through the thick of it for several minutes, her heels being more frustrating than normal amongst the uneven terrain of the forest floor.

A sharp whistle caught their attention, and Weiss looked to the side to see Blake standing at guard underneath the shadows of a tree, her amber eyes almost glowing in the darkness. Yang moved to join her, and Weiss followed suit, swiveling her head for any indicators of her wayward partner.

"What'd you find?" Yang asked impatiently.

Blake gestured to the ground at the side of the tree, where footprints were faintly visible in the dirt. "I've followed these for a while. Relatively fresh, at least four people, moving deeper into the forest. They come and go so they're difficult to track."

Yang bent down and studied them closely, and Weiss moved to stand alongside her. The prints were large and deep, and very unlike anything Ruby would wear. "These aren't hers," Weiss thought out loud.

"No," Yang said softly. She turned her head and followed the tracks in the direction that they were headed, moving slowly and closely monitoring the footprints. After exchanging a worried glance, Weiss and Blake moved after her, giving her plenty of space to work. Weiss continued to watch her surroundings as they continued deeper into the shadows.

They left the brush temporarily, coming into a small clearing. The prints were very easy to track in moonlight, showing four different pairs cutting straight through the area. Weiss stood back as Yang followed them closely, searching for any sign of their leader. She glanced around the area before moving, and paused when she noticed impressions in the dirt to the far side of the clearing.

Moving to investigate, Weiss carefully approached her discovery, finding another set of footprints curiously separate from the others. These prints were smaller in size and had a very familiar tread and imprint. The revelation was both relieving and concerning to the heiress, who immediately turned to the others.

"Over here!" She yelled in a low tone. "I found her tracks!"

Yang was the first to approach, sprinting straight over and kneeling in the dirt beside them. Blake followed more slowly, eyes scanning the footprints from one side of the cleaning to the other.

"So she _is_ out here," Blake said with concern. "What is she doing?"

Weiss rubbed her temple with her free hand, sheathing Myrtenaster with the other. "If this could start making sense, that would be great."

"Look at the distance between footsteps," Yang cut in, her voice growing increasingly intense. "She's not walking, she's-"

"Running." Blake finished. "So are the other prints, their stride is very long."

The three were silent, taking in the new information. It was slightly comforting to find a trace of Ruby, but the existence of the other prints was a new and unexpected problem. The only people Weiss could think of being out with Ruby would be Team Juniper, but their footwear was nothing like the prints they found. And apparently both Ruby and the others were moving very quickly, another piece in the puzzle.

"Was she being chased?" Yang asked in an almost pained tone.

"Unlikely." Blake replied, studying the clearing. "Her tracks haven't yet intersected the others, a big indicator for a pursuit. And it would be very odd for Ruby to have been following them instead, especially with the route she chose."

"So you're saying…" Weiss started.

"That they are traveling together? It would appear so."

Yang let out a loud growl, surprising the other two. She stood up and turned to them with red eyes and clenched fists. "Ruby values her future and us way too much to risk all of this for something stupid," she snarled. "She's broken several huge rules, lied to all of us, and is now risking her life against Grimm in the middle of the night. There's no way she's doing any of this willingly! These pricks are involved somehow."

"So we're going after them?" Weiss asked forcefully, tightly gripping her rapier.

"Whoever the hell they are, the Grimm just became the least of their worries!" Yang returned with fury, spinning around and running after Ruby's tracks.

Weiss shot after her, following the blonde once more at high speed out of the clearing and into dense brush. Blake followed right behind her, the sound of her movements almost silent and her shape often only a distant shadow. They made their way through the forest for several kilometers, the run tiring but necessary. Yang somehow managed to maintain sight of the tracks in front of her, and Weiss realized early on that they went in an almost completely straight line, as if they were heading for something.

The area of the forest they were in was somewhat familiar to her. She recalled passing through it on her way back to the school after initiation, the team still bright with adrenaline from battling a massive Nevermore. That meant that they were right above the ruins of the old fortress from before the Modern Age where their battle had occurred. But why would anyone go there? There was only dust and echoes.

They reached the cliffside where Ruby had landed after killing the Nevermore, and all came to a stop at the sight. Weiss's eyes went wide at what was before her, and dread seeped through her limbs.

The ground before the cliff was torn up and mutilated, hundreds of massive paw prints stamping down what little vegetation there was. The gashes of claws were everywhere, from the trees to the dirt below. At the edge of the cliff there were many long and straight gashes into the dirt, the thin shape clearly recognizable to all three members of RWBY. Ruby had fought against Grimm on the edge od the cliff, and there were no signs of who won.

Yang sprinted for the edge and stopped upon it, searching the cliff face for any sign of her sister. Weiss moved carefully next to her and looked down into the misty ruins, seeing nothing but aging stone and shadows.

"What happened here?!" Yang cried out, the red gone from her eyes and replaced with a worried lavender. "Where did the Grimm go? Where did Ruby go?!"

Weiss had no answer, turning way from the cliffside and looking at the damaged ground beneath her. She paused and bent down, seeing human footprints mixed in with the Grimm, which judging by the claws and shape were completely made up of Beowolves. One member of the unknown group had moved erratically where she stood, right next to Crescent Rose's gashes in the ground. It was possible they had fought each other, or more likely had stood their ground against the Grimm.

"Blake?" Yang asked, her voice growing hoarse. "Please tell me you can find out where she went."

Blake carefully moved through the rampaged ground and frowned at her partner. "There's so much going on here I can't tell. There must have been hundreds of Beowolves."

"Please find something!" Yang begged.

Weiss bit her cheek at the blonde's desperation, having never before seen her this desperate. She really cared about her sister, and the steadily worsening signs behind the small girl were tearing Yang apart. Weiss herself was growing scared for her partner's safety. Prodigy or not, there was only so much Ruby could handle.

Blake opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a distant gunshot. The deep roar and long echo was known to all of them, even as it passed through them and bounced through the ruins. Yang started to smile and Weiss sighed in relief. She was still out there, still fighting.

Another shot was heard. And then another. A different firearm joined the barrage, quieter but with a higher rate of fire. Crescent Rose and the other weapon continued going off nonstop, signifying that something was very wrong.

"Let's move!" Yang gestured in the rough direction of the gunfire, before tearing off with Ember Celica at the ready on both wrist.

Weiss and Blake fell in once more, weapons unsheathed and auras fully charged. As they ran out of the trampled cliffside forest and deeper in, the shots stopped completely, making Weiss's blood run cold. Loud noises would only attract more Grimm at a time like this, and Ruby halting fire on something likely meant that she had shifted to be melee combat. And if the horde of Beowolves was still around, this spelt certain doom for her partner.

They pushed on even harder, Weiss struggling to keep up with Yang's aggressive pace. As they passed through several clearings a blinding red light shot into the sky, catching their attention and bringing them to a stop. The distress flare was a clear plea for help and a further attraction for Grimm. Between the gunfire and the light, every Grimm within kilometers would be out for blood.

Ruby didn't have long.

The three resumed their run without a word, aiming for the origin of the flare. Yang was in a full sprint, eyes flickering to crimson and gauntlets at the ready. Weiss clearly saw armor-piercing slugs loaded into the yellow bracers, very rare for the brawler who almost always preferred explosive shells. Whatever or whoever they found, she could tell Yang would show no mercy to them.

Blake was alongside her, Gambol Shroud in hand and trailing behind her lithe form. Her eyes were locked on the path ahead, promising a quick and brutal fight.

Weiss rotated the cylinder of Myrtenaster and assured herself it was fully loaded with dust. The rapier was as clean and sharp as ever, reflecting the light of the moon around them.

She hoped they would make it in time.

* * *

This one was challenging to write.

Up next: Ruby, injured and aura-less makes a final stand; and Cardin finds an answer.

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**

\- ThunderApple


	10. Silver Eyes

Good new everyone! Today we have another update!

* * *

The Elder stared at her quietly, soulless red seeping from its eyes and floating upwards to fade away.

Ruby stared back while trying to steady her shaking hands around Dove's sword held in front of her. Her limbs were tired and she could barely stand. The open gash on her thigh burned faintly, and she could feel blood trickling down her leg.

She thought of the flare shot upwards mere minutes before, and the help that would come.

All she had to do was stay alive.

She tightened her grip around the blade. Having a moment to study it up close, she found the Elder Grimm to be even more terrifying. His armor was cracked and worn from centuries of wear, scored with arrow tips and dents at almost every point. It was likely to have taken countless lives of both civilians and huntsmen alike.

Ruby's eyes twitched in pain and she blinked at the unexpected distraction. The Grimm took the opportunity, roaring and charging toward her far faster than he should have been able to. Ruby slid to the side and under the outstretched claws, ignoring the sharp pain in her leg. She slashed against the armored form as it passed, the sword merely bouncing off the white armor with a loud clang.

The Elder was impatient to finish her and whipped his body around after her, slamming the side of his leg into her torso and sending her a dozen meters away. Ruby tumbled and slid against the grass, managing to find her footing while gasping for air once again.

He kept advancing, this time being more methodical on his approach.

Her eyes continued to act up, her focus on the dark forest swimming in and out. She wasn't sure what had happened to them but she was terrified as they continued to worsen. _No no no please stop!_ She inwardly thought. If she lost her sight she would die for sure.

A flash of white nearly blinded her, making her stumble backwards at the brightness. She looked around for the source with a small amount of hope, but found nothing other than the steadily advancing Elder.

 _What is happening to me?_

Another flash followed, seeming to burn straight through her very eyes in splitting pain. Ruby screamed and fell to her knees, dropping the sword and gripping her head in a failed attempt to stop whatever was happening. She closed her eyes shut tightly, the action seeming to stop some of the pain.

The unknown assailant was relentless; all she saw was blinding white, searing straight into her head. The shrieking pain seemed to come both from her head and her heart at the same time and was an unstoppable torrent of suffering. Whatever grip she had on the world around her faded away quickly.

Her scream only raised in volume as the pain continued. Whatever remained of her aura was fighting against her unknown affliction, the crackles of two different energies sparking throughout her body. Ruby instinctively gripped her body and curled into a ball as white light kindled around her shaking form. She was unable to think or act, only to suffer.

The Elder looked on, intelligent red lights focused on her quavering body. It held its ground cautiously, wary of the energy flowing around the small girl.

Ruby was in a world of torment. Her aura had been surprisingly painful to her body when she had first unlocked it, but that was nothing compared to this. It was as if two different auras were fighting inside of her, trying to take over. And it was clear which one was winning.

She screwed her eyes shut as hard as possible, trying to halt whatever wanted to escape them. The burn seemed to only build up behind them as seconds went by, and Ruby curled tighter. She couldn't hold it for long. The pain skyrocketed to unbearable levels, and she had no choice.

Ruby opened her eyes.

White energy exploded outwards soundlessly, blasting into grass, dirt and trees alike. Trunks splintered into thousands of pieces, rocks shattered instantly, and a storm of dust burst into the air around her. The very ground beneath her rumbled at the action, and her body seemed to relax. Ruby gasped in reprieve as the built-up energy was released, eyes slowly coming back into focus.

The world was white, all around her.

She sat up carefully, the pain in head subsiding to a dull buzz and constant reminder of its presence. She looked around in astonishment, eyes wide and glowing. Everything she saw around her was in that same shade of stark white color, from the uprooted and destroyed trees to the ground around her. Thin black outlines seemed to frame everything, giving separation to a world of one color. The night sky above was much the same, the stars lost to a single shade of white.

She studied the shredded environment around her, knowing that she had somehow done that. The knowledge was subtly terrifying: something within her was very dangerous, and she had no control over it.

Ruby tensed and turned around back towards her attacker, remembering just how close to death she was. She shoved herself backwards when she saw the Elder, a dark black shape standing out against the world of white. It was acting oddly, its feet slowly moving it backwards away from her. It almost looked scared, uncertain of her.

Shakily getting to her knees, Ruby pushed herself to stand. She stood and faced the Elder Grimm, breathing unsteadily and inwardly terrified of both the creature and herself.

"Go away!" She shouted fearfully, her voice seeming to echo with an otherworldly quality.

The Elder held its ground. It turned its head at her, seeming to contemplate the situation. It waited several long moments in thought before moving forward. Ruby shouted for it to leave again, even as the pain in her head began to rise once more.

Step by step the Grimm approached, claws gouging the ground and jaw slightly open as it neared. Ruby winced as white began to build behind her eyes, not prepared at all for another episode of suffering. Unlike the last one, this time the Elder wouldn't hesitate.

"Please! Please leave!" She screamed. The white world around her seemed to only brighten as the pain increased. Ruby kept her eyes open, watching helplessly as the Elder closed the small distance remaining. It let out a low growl and swung its damaged paw, claws aimed for her head.

"NO!" She shrieked, outstretching a hand against the behemoth before her.

The buildup within her channeled straight through her body at once, exiting her eyes with a blaze of light. Ruby watched as the Elder was met with a wave of white power and blasted backwards away from her, launching off his feet and slamming into the damaged trees dozens of meters away with a howl of surprise. The wave faded away quickly, and Ruby gasped as she once again felt relief from the pain.

She stared in shock at what she had done. Whatever was happening was beyond her understanding. Untold power was coming from her eyes, and it was like nothing she had ever heard of. In fact, the only thing she could remember was what Professor Ozpin had said many months ago in Downtown Vale when they met: _You have silver eyes._

Was there more to it? She frowned as questions shot through her head. That connection was too big to ignore.

The Grimm struggled to its feet some ways away from her, its hulking form seeming to radiate with anger. The sheer terror she felt around it seemed to fade away slowly. It was just another Grimm, black evil against a world of white good.

 _Can I… can I do that again?_ She wondered.

The glow within her started building up once more. Ruby locked her eyes on the Elder in the distance and raised her hand towards it, trying to focus the power within her. She felt it inside, a chaotic swirl of rising strength and energy that acted of its own volition. She realized quickly that she couldn't control it. But she could still unleash it.

As her eyes started to prick with power, she kept her hand raised and trained on her opponent. The power continued to build to its peak, nearly blinding her once more. This time she accepted it and didn't fight it, heaving as it winded through her limbs with resonated deep within her spirit. The light built up in her eyes, leaving her only able to see a white world and one spot of black.

Ruby let out her power.

A streak of white left her eyes and sailed through the damaged area, carving straight through the Elder and into the forest behind him. Ruby stumbled backwards as the energy left her, falling to her hands and knees as the entirety of the white influence left her body. She sucked in breaths, barely managing to keep herself upright. The ground beneath her faded back to normal color, the faded brown and green a welcome change to her previous world.

It was the silence that finally caught her attention. She slowly looked up towards the enemy of mankind, and her mouth fell open in shock. The Elder Grimm was still where she had last seen it, except laying on its side. A massive jagged tear was visible throughout its entire form, nearly splitting it in half down the middle. The red light was slowly fading from its eyes and body, and the form itself was beginning to succumb to the final fading away that marked the end of a Grimm's existence in the world.

 _I… won?_ Ruby realized.

The realization should have impacted her far more. An Elder Grimm, dead at her hands? It was almost impossible to believe. But the evidence of her victory was right in front of her. They were the most terrifying type known to mankind, and it was dead in front of her. Dead.

Dove.

Ruby sharply took a breath and shot to her feet, ignoring her body's exhausted complaints. She lurched over to the remains of the pillars, desperately looking for her companion.

His fallen body was right where she saw it last, face down in dirt that was faintly colored a dark red. She fought the tears coming out of her eyes and fell to the ground beside him. Shoving her hands under his side she strained to roll him over to his front, revealing the grievous wounds of the three claws that pierced his armor. There were massive in size and she knew from a single glance that he was gone.

She leaned back against the pillar behind him, taking his hand and holding it in her lap. She tilted her head back and stared longingly at the sky as tears ran down her cheeks. Ruby was no stranger to death. Her own mother had met the same fate as the boy beside her. But now, her heart stung because this time she could have stopped it. Whatever bizarre power she had didn't matter. She wasn't a good enough huntress to save even a single life.

Pounding footsteps rushed towards her position, and Ruby found that she honestly didn't care. She could faintly tell that they were human, and that was all that mattered.

"Ruby!" A desperate voice screamed.

The red-cloaked girl finally let her guard down for the first time that night. She knew that voice better than anyone else's in all of Remnant. Everything was going to be okay. Her big sister was there.

Other footsteps joined in and got closer. Ruby barely noticed the golden hair run into the ruins before Yang was right in front of her, lavender eyes desperately searching her for injury. She heard her sister speaking but didn't listen, instead watching as Blake and Weiss rounded the same corner. The two looked horrified at the scene before them, eyes switching from Dove's fallen form to her own damaged body.

Her eyes were drawn to the branches of a tree behind them, where the small Raven had watched the entire fight. Ruby tilted her head at the bird, almost drawn to it. The Raven's head nodded slowly, before it shuffled its feathers and flew off into the night sky without a sound.

Her teammates filled her vision, caring and concerned faces surrounding her. She ignored their questions as they fussed over the situation, and even as a Bullhead VTOL moved to hover overhead, spotlight illuminating the entire area. Her mind was tired and wanted to rest, even as it burned with a hundred questions.

Her mom had silver eyes too.

* * *

The three huntsmen in training moved quickly, scrolls alight in the dark tunnel and weapons at the ready.

Cardin's faced was locked in a permanent scowl as he walked, the entire situation going far out of his comfort zone. There was so much at stake, and he hated that he of all people had to be the only one smart enough to act.

"Are you sure its in here?" Thrush asked aggressively from the rear, clearly nervous. "We are risking basically everything by doing this, especially if you're right!"

"It has to be," Cardin replied without looking back. "My father and the other families have been looking into this for years and this is the best lead they've ever gotten."

Sky snorted. "And when we find it? Then what?"

"Snap a group picture?" Thrush asked mischievously.

Cardin stopped fully, and the other two halted behind him. He turned around menacingly, starting right into the eyes of both teammates. "Do either of you know how serious this really is?"

Thrush rolled his eyes. "Not really, cause you won't tell us."

He considered hitting his wilder teammate for several seconds before Cardin sighed deeply. "I didn't come to this school to be a huntsman like the rest of you idiots."

Sky frowned. "Elaborate."

"My father sent me in," Cardin explained. "He had me trained, educated, and ready to be a prime member of this stupid school for people who want to throw away their lives. Not for legacy, not for wealth, only for one purpose: to be an inside man. He wants me to prove his biggest suspicion and show it to the world."

The revelation made the other two glance at each other in bewilderment. They had gotten pieces of the story in the past months but had never truly understood the reasoning, until now. "What are you trying to find, exactly?" Sky asked carefully.

"Proof. That Ozpin isn't like the rest of us. That his school is founded on dark secrets and using the rest of the world for his own benefit. That he's hiding something massive," Cardin answered quietly.

"And how do you know that isn't a load of crap?" Thrush asked, unimpressed. "It sounds like the elite of Vale are a bunch of conspiracy theorists who spend too long in their hair salons."

Cardin turned back forward and pushed on, leaving the other two. He walked for several seconds before his scroll's light illuminated a large stone door taking up the entire tunnel. The sigil of Beacon Academy was carved into the front. Beside the door were two metal sconces, dark and unused for a long time.

Sheathing his mace and pulling a lighter from his belt, Cardin reached into each sconce and lit it, igniting the oil within and creating a sinister green flame on either side of the passageway.

He turned back to the others, face set in uncertainty. "I don't. There's a chance my father's careful spying and research is all wrong. But there's also a chance that he's right."

Cardin unsheathed his mace and activated the dust canister at the top, charging it with aura and aiming it at the door before him.

"Let's see if we're in a fairy tale."

* * *

And its time to enter the second act!

I could rant on and on about RWBY. I find Ruby's lack of character depth to be extremely frustrating when trying to write her. She's the title character of her show and said show is five seasons in, and yet we can only write a single paragraph about her backstory. I'm really hoping that she gets more developed, because some parts of this are hard to write when character motivations are unclear.

Anyways, this is my take on the Silver-Eyed Warrior Powers (which also lack depth). They are separate from a person's aura and actually fight one's aura within the body because they are two different energies. The Silver Power builds up in desperate situations and can be unleashed in various ways. If the user accepts the power and doesn't shy away from it (as Ruby discovered), she holds immense power and capability.

In the original draft Dove was actually killed by Yang. Hmm.

 **Up next: Ruby faces her team, and Ozpin is forced to act.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review!**

\- ThunderApple


	11. Aftermath

Hello everyone! This story update has been a long time coming.

I mostly wrote this story as a test of a specific (and questionable) planning method for writing and to see what elements I need to correct in my style firsthand. And then I graduated school, studied and got professional certifications and then got a better job than I dared to hope for – all this while finishing up detailed planning for my first novel. This is why there was a lack of attention to this story.

I plan on finishing it. Thanks for all of the feedback and favorites, it warms my cold heart to get emails and favorites about readers even months later.

So let's continue, shall we?

* * *

Act 2

Chapter 11: Aftermath

The three had varying levels of patience.

Blake was no stranger to waiting. Years of careful planning and opportunistic strikes in the White Fang had tempered her mind to the activity. Though she could handle waiting for just about anything, she was still uncomfortable to be in a situation where so much was at stake. She slowly paced back and forth at the side of the small room, her heels quieter than they deserved to be as they tapped on the cold linoleum floor.

Weiss shared a similar mindset to her faunus partner. She had been groomed to wait for the right opportunities in the business world, to avoid rushing a deal and getting the short end of the stick. Her father had seen to her knowing far more than the average person about the intricacies of waiting and how doing so can pay off. Resting in her uncomfortable plastic chair with straight posture and a dignified expression she still couldn't help but clasp and unclasp her hands repeatedly, the small fidget-like action unlike her. Waiting was painful when it was for someone you cared about.

Yang on the other hand had no use for patience. It had never defined who she was. She recognized its value in many situations but had long since accepted her own truth that action could solve a problem quicker, though perhaps much less cleanly. She knew it was often reckless and foolish but it held a place in a world where action spoke louder than words. And as she stood facing the closed infirmary door she wished that she could just do what she does best and face it head on. But for the second time in her life, it one was out of her hands.

After the three had found Ruby in the Emerald Forest they had been horrified to see what state she was in. She was laying against a collapsed stone pillar with a torn Dove beside her, bleeding heavily from multiple places and non-responsive to any words, merely staring straight ahead. Yang had immediately dived to her sister's aid in a panic, trying to stop the bleeding and to get a response from the silent and almost comatose girl. A worried Weiss and Blake had tried to ignore the torn boy beside their leader and assist as best they could. As they focused on their wounded friend all three of them struggled to keep their eyes away from the slowly fading carcass of an Elder Grimm to the side of the clearing. The sight made their minds burn with questions but they didn't have time to ask what had occurred before they arrived. The bright searchlights of Bullheads had quickly reached their position right after, likely drawn by the flare shot upwards minutes before. The situation quickly changed hands to Glynda Goodwitch as she stepped out of the first aircraft to land and started barking orders. The trio was quickly pulled away from Ruby and pushed aboard a Bullhead by Beacon Huntsmen, who ignored their protests and gave firm orders. The presence of the licensed Huntsmen affirmed the seriousness of the situation to all of them. They only left Beacon when lives were on the line.

Ruby and the fallen Dove were loaded up separately from the trio and returned back to the school. Upon arrival they had been met with grim faces of Beacon staff before being sent to the infirmary. The last they had seen of Ruby was her pale face staring at the ceiling as she was carted inside the stark white facility. Goodwitch had escorted the others inside as well, then forced them to disarm and wait in a small waiting room with guards outside the door as she dealt with the situation. None of them had ever seen the stoic professor as grave in attitude before, and it did little to quell their fears of Ruby's condition.

They had only spoken only a little with each other once left alone, each of them mulling over the consequences of their actions and what would happen next. Two hours had passed with no news from outside or otherwise, time that felt far longer than normal to the three stressed girls. The small room was oppressive to wait inside of, lacking windows and pictures, only having unpleasant chairs and the single door to the rest of the infirmary.

"You're sure it was just the two, Yang?" Weiss asked quietly, breaking the intense silence.

Yang sniffed small tears from her eyes before turning to the heiress. "As far as I could see. The thigh and the side. There were more but those were definitely the biggest."

"And…" Weiss trailed off. "And neither looked life threatening?"

"I think so," Yang answered, not meeting her eyes. "Hopefully. I didn't get a good look."

The reserved attitude was very unlike the blonde, and it made Weiss feel more uncertain than ever. If even the impudent Yang Xiao Long was worried then Ruby's condition must have been worse than she thought. She turned her head over to Blake who still paced consistently on the far side of the windowless room.

"Blake? Did you manage to get anything from looking at the ruins when we got there?" She asked hesitantly. She wasn't used to being the team's only initiative like this. But she wanted to do something else, anything else other than sit there helplessly.

A flash of amber eyes and a quick shake of the head gave her an answer.

Weiss frowned and let go of her tight posture, slouching in her uncomfortable chair. She put her head in her hands and let out a silent sigh. This was going to be a long wait. Being forced to sit there in the dark was taking its toll on all of them, and Weiss had never seen her team truly face such a crisis before. She was glad she hadn't. She herself was trying to be rational and calm, but the thought of Ruby dying in the rooms next door after facing a situation they still didn't understand made her want to scream.

And she hadn't even had time yet to rationally digest what she had seen two hours ago. The broken ruins where they had finally found Ruby had been torn to pieces, the ground covered in shell casings and marred with countless prints of Grimm. And to the side had been the fading form of an Elder Grimm. Weiss had read about them for years. They were ancient and deadly, a fight that even the strongest Huntsmen would hesitate to attempt. And yet it was dead, and the only other survivor of the encounter was her own partner. The correlation and what it meant only made her more worried. How could Ruby have even survived? Judging by Blake's focused expression on the other side of the room, Weiss wasn't the only one wondering.

The door to Beacon's hallways suddenly opened with high speed, and loud heels quickly filled the space as Professor Goodwitch entered the room. Her eyes swept over all three students quickly before shutting the wood door behind her and standing to face them with a quietly furious gaze.

"I have dealt with most of tonight's escapade, though I still have many loose ends to deal with," she almost growled. "And you are one of them. I hope you understand that a line was crossed tonight ladies, and I expect a very good explanation for your sake."

Yang and Weiss opened their mouths to speak but were immediately cut off with an angry glare. "I am asking the questions right now. I will tell you that Ms. Rose is in stable condition and to worry less about her and more about yourselves. Make no mistake. The events of tonight are a clean-cut expulsion for all involved under normal circumstances."

Weiss' eyebrows rose and her mouth opened slightly as panic shot through her along with relief that Ruby's life wasn't in danger. Even though she knew there were good reasons for what had happened, the thought of expulsion from Beacon and shamefully returning to Atlas made genuine fear race through her. She couldn't allow that to happen.

Goodwitch continued in the same furious tone. "There is a lot unexplained and I want answers. You will tell me why you were out there tonight, why a lone member of team CRDL was with you, and why you have risked the lives of yourselves and others and perhaps caused several lives to be lost. You will answer honestly and completely, and if you do not then you will leave this school tomorrow and never be welcome back."

The silence after her demands was extremely tense. Blake shifted uncomfortably from the other side while Yang stared back in anger. Weiss prepared to take the initiative in answering but the blonde quickly beat her to it.

"We were looking for Ruby," Yang offered with a counter-glare. "I'm sure you have ideas that we went out for some stupid reason to go do stupid things, but I can honestly say what we did tonight was completely to find her and bring her back."

Glynda raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "You were looking for Ms. Rose? I was under the impression you were all together."

Weiss decided to take the initiative while she still could. If Yang continued talking the Professor could very well end up being insulted or even attacked. "Ruby was hiding something from us," she began quickly from her chair. "We didn't understand. She lied to us to hide whatever it was, and we weren't sure why. Tonight we found out she went into the Emerald Forest alone with her weapon in hand and we went after her as soon as w-"

" _You went after her_?" Goodwitch interrupted sarcastically, the tone very unexpected from the normally proper teacher. "Rather than contact any staff member of Beacon and express your concerns about a life being at risk, you instead obtained your weapons and went out alone without support into Grimm-infested wilderness to put your own lives at risk too?"

"There's something going on that we don't know," Blake cut in. The black-haired girl stepped over to join them, trying to mitigate the conversation. "Ruby was hiding injuries from us, lying to us. Whatever it is she clearly didn't feel comfortable telling anyone about it. We felt that it was best to figure out the truth on our own rather than risk involvement of authority."

The professor sighed. "That doesn't excuse-"

"We think that someone is manipulating her," Yang seethed.

Goodwitch turned to her with an interested glance. "And why would you say that?"

Weiss saw a chance to explain everything rationally and spoke quickly. "A few days ago she rewrote an essay from scratch when it was already written more than well enough the day before. I was mad at her at the time but quickly realized something was wrong. We soon caught her lying and hiding things from us which has never occurred until now. We went out into the Emerald Forest in order to find out more before we involved authority, in case there was a factor we were not aware of that might cause harm. We followed her trail and eventually found her at the damaged ruins where you met us. We arrived only shortly before you did – the flare led us straight to her."

She received a small nod from the professor for her answer. "Continue."

"That's all we know," Weiss admitted. "We were trying to find out more. I may not have known Ruby very long but I know her to be someone strikingly honest. Her actions over the last few days are very out of place. I do not believe she would have done what she did unless for good reason."

Goodwitch looked thoughtful, her eyes moving to the ground.

"I know it isn't much but we do apologize. As I'm sure you're aware from the _incident_ at the Vale docks earlier this year, trouble seems to find us one way or the other," Weiss finished with a sad frown.

More oppressive silence followed as the professor mulled over their explanation. Weiss clasped her hands tightly and hoped that the honest and concise explanation was enough to avert expulsion. She didn't have much else.

"The paper you spoke of – did it happen to be an essay for Professor Port?" the instructor asked thoughtfully.

Yang perked up quickly. "You know about that?"

"Please answer the question." Goodwitch demanded without missing a beat.

"Yes, it was the essay on Grimm migration," Weiss said, cutting off Yang who looked ready to interrogate the older woman for answers. She could relate, the thought of learning more information about Ruby's situation was tantalizing, but not worth risking more expulsion than they had to.

The professor nodded, seeming to tuck the answer away for later and turned back to the heiress.

"Perhaps that explains why you three were out there tonight, but why was Mr. Bronzewing? To my knowledge he has never had any direct interaction with your team," Goodwitch asked.

"I'm sure he's part of it," Yang growled. "He has to be. Why else would he be out there? I'm sure you picked up the rest of his cronies too, right?"

"No." Goodwitch replied, setting her mouth in a firm line. "The rest of his team has yet to be found."

The unexpected answer made Yang pause her incoming rebuke. The angry lines of her face faded and were replaced with confusion. "Are you sure? Why wouldn't they be there too?"

"That is what I am trying to answer right now, Ms. Xiao Long," Goodwitch replied. "We repeatedly scanned the forest and are searching it even now, but there is no sign of team CRDL on campus or elsewhere. I was hoping you might have answers."

Yang frowned and put a hand to her chin. "That doesn't make any sense. We tracked four people in addition to Ruby. They should be out there somewhere."

Goodwitch sighed again, shoulders relaxing from their tense state. "It seems there is a lot more to this than I expected, and I tend to have already high expectations of frustration when your team is involved in something. Thank you for your time. Remain here until instructed otherwise."

"Oh hell no!" Yang shouted and stepped forward. "You're not leaving yet. I know we're in serious shit right now but you need to at least tell us what's going on with Ruby."

Goodwitch's face quickly returned to displeased. "I told you already. She is stable at this time. I will tell you more when there is more to tell."

"And Dove?" Blake asked quietly from the side.

The question made Goodwitch pause. She turned to look at the faunus slowly, seeming to hesitate. "He will likely not survive the night."

With the dark news given, she turned on her heel and exited the room quickly, turning to walk down the hall. The three heard her heels clacking away before the door shut once more.

Once the coast was clear Yang slowly crumpled into the chair next to Weiss and put her head in her hands. She stared down at her lap in silence, seeming to digest everything that had been discussed. Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder, unsure what to say next.

Yang spoke up suddenly, her voice twisted with remorse. "I'm sorry guys. Mrs. high and mighty was right. I led us into this and look where it's gotten us. Now we'll be lucky to get detention for the rest of the semester. And Ruby isn't even safe. She's in there bleeding and suffering and I couldn't help her with anything!"

Weiss opened her mouth and shut it, not used to Yang taking responsibility or showing such emotion. This was beyond her normal and somewhat limited comforting abilities. She looked up to their other teammate to find Blake walking over to join them and calmly sitting on the blonde's other side. Her face contrasted greatly from her body language, shadowed with worry and determination.

"We could have handled it better, yes," Blake said softly. "But we did what we thought was best at the time. We couldn't have prepared for all of this."

"Blake is right," Weiss added with a warm glance to her teammate. "Besides, what's done is done. You heard her: Ruby is going to be alright. Once we are allowed to see her we can figure this all out and explain it to Professor Goodwitch, and hopefully get _out_ of trouble for all of this."

Yang sniffed. "It could have been prevented. We could have been better teammates, I could have been a better sister. All Ruby had to do was come to me once things went wrong, but she didn't feel comfortable doing that and look where it got us. I'm a pretty shit sister apparently."

"We all could have done better," Blake offered soothingly as she put an arm around her partner's shoulders.

Weiss tightened her grip on Yang's shoulder, leaning against her larger teammate. Blake did the same from the other side, the same drive to comfort their friend and each other present. The quiet returned again, this time warmer. The three continued waiting once more and hoped for answers.

* * *

And that's a wrap! Up next: Ruby deals with the consequences of her actions.

Thanks for reading! Please review - I'm writing a book soon, give me your honest thoughts on everything! I need to know!


	12. Honesty Hurts

SURPRISE UPDATE!

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Chapter 12: Honesty Hurts

Ruby woke up to pain. A lot of pain.

Keeping her eyes squeezed shut, she twisted in the bed. She had no idea where she was and she didn't care at the moment.

She listened to the room around her in her half-conscious state, hearing the dull whine of machinery to her side. Somewhere above her another whirr of noise droned on, probably a fan due to the cool air brushing against her face.

She shifted her body slowly, wincing as pain shot through her leg and arm. The feeling of the sharp cuts into her limbs made it all start to come back. Flashes of dark forms and red eyes ran through her mindscape, covered in blood. Among them a far larger beast roared, white amongst the sea of darkness. And from that sea, silver light erupted.

Ruby gasped and opened her eyes, taking in deep breaths and allowing her gaze to focus on the ceiling of the room before her. She was right, a large ventilator was built into it above her, the three spinning blades slowly pushing cool winds down onto her bed. She slowed down her breathing and blinked several times, trying to push whatever she was feeling out of her mind. It was harder than expected, an uphill battle through a fog of murkiness.

She slowly turned her head to the side and found the familiar sight of Beacon's infirmary suite. She recognized the room she was in - though she had never been in one personally until then. They were the critical care suites in the infirmary, meant for surgery and students in dangerous condition. She remembered it from the first-year tour she had taken way back then at the start of the semester.

Glancing down at her body, she felt a shiver of fear run through her. Her mind was still catching up to her body and she was partially concerned for her own health. What if something had been done to her? What if she had lost a limb? As she clearly saw her entire body resting under the white blankets before her, she sighed quietly in relief. Just to be sure, she tested her arms and hands, finding them working and shifting the soft blanket. She tried her legs next, tensing them and letting out a whine of pain when one leg pulsed with fire.

Ruby relaxed as best she could and rested her head back where it had started, looking at the rotating fans above her in thought. She remembered what had happened now. The threatening, the mission, the Elder, and what had happened to her. And the fate of Dove…

Ruby dared a quick glance upwards to the window into her room. She could see the infirmary outside, but saw no one present, and the doors of the other suites were out of her view. If he was here, and still alive even, she wouldn't know just yet.

She closed her eyes and grimaced. The true severity of everything was finally hitting her. She was back in Beacon, which meant the school had found their distress flare and saved her. And because of that, she was going to be dealing with the consequences. Picturing the shame of expulsion and her dreams of becoming a huntress shattered in a single instant, Ruby bit her lip and restrained a sob. None of this was fair.

Atop it all the fresh memory of the power within her stayed at the top of her mind, something she didn't understand in the slightest and didn't even know where to begin feeling something about.

The faint memory of golden hair in her face came to her, among a backdrop of dark trees. Violet eyes joined it, looking caring and horrified. Ruby bit into her lip harshly when she figured out what it meant. She had been so hazy at the time, but now that she thought about it she could clearly recall Yang being in the forest with her.

Her sister had found out what she was doing after all. All her attempts to keep her and the others out of it had failed. And probably very soon, she was going to be dealing with the fallout of all of it. Ruby tried even harder to keep back the sob threatening to burst out of her throat. She had tried so hard to do this right, to make her team proud. And all she had ended up achieving was making a giant mess out of everything. They were never going to look up to her now. She had blown it.

Ruby laid there quietly for several minutes, fisting the blanket in her hands and doing everything she could not to break down.

Her internal suffering was interrupted when she heard a door open. She cracked open her eyes quickly, focusing on a white-clad person entering the room. She recognized the getup of a Beacon medic, rarely seen outside of serious issues. If anything, she thought a nurse would be coming in.

"Ms. Rose? Are you awake?" The man asked in a gentle tone, his face showing to be rough and battle-scarred, but with a kind expression.

Ruby hesitated for a moment before nodding at him, not quite ready to speak.

He brightened and stood straighter, slipping fully into the room and closing the door behind him. Slowly walking up to the head of the bed, he pulled a large scroll from his white coat and began tapping on it, eyes darting between the screen and her face. "Is there any serious pain other than your arm and leg?" he asked softly.

Shifting for a moment to test, Ruby looked down at her bed and shook her head. The rest of her body ached but the pain was focused on those two spots.

"Glad to hear it," he replied. "Don't worry, you won't be here for too long. We're waiting for Professor Goodwitch to come by and then we can see about getting you moved somewhere more comfortable. I'm glad to see you're still in one piece."

He tapped a few more times and smiled at her before turning on his heel and heading back for the door. Ruby watched him cross the room before initiative ran back through her, the intrinsic feeling dampened but still present within her. "Wait…" she said in a whisper.

The medic paused, glancing back at her.

"Is…" she started, fearful of asking the question. She frowned and pushed herself slightly up in bed. Now was not the time to be a coward. "How is Dove?"

His smile quickly died and his face went grim. He glanced at the floor, seeming unsure of telling her whatever he knew. Probably out of some effort to protect her fragile mental state, and probably a good idea. But she had to know.

"Mr. Bronzewing is in critical condition," he told her, meeting her eyes with a serious look. "His chances of survival are slim to none."

Ruby didn't reply, staring at him in heartbreak. They had never been friends, but she never wanted him to die. His choices had saved her life and look what had happened to him.

Sighing, the medic shoved his hands into his pockets. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked.

Ruby stared at him with tears building at the corners of her eyes, still restraining herself. She just wanted to be alone right now. Even so she bit back the emotional pain and croaked out another question. "Is my team okay?"

"They are in one piece and right outside the infirmary, actually," he informed her with a head gesture in the direction of the waiting room. "They are very concerned for you, but are unfortunately confined to that room."

The huntress-to-be exhaled a sigh of relief. "I can't see them?" she asked sadly.

"I'm afraid not," he said.

Ruby bit her lip again and looked at him desperately. "Not even just one?"

The battle-scarred man frowned at her request but didn't reply immediately. He seemed to be mulling it over in his head as they stared at each other in silence.

"One of them. For ten minutes at the most. Normally I would say no to this but I am well aware of how worried they are, and you are in a stable and recovering condition," he told her seriously. "Don't make me regret this, kid. You are on extremely thin ice right now as is."

Ruby nodded her assent and swallowed.

"You want your sister?" he asked quickly.

She opened her mouth to reply, fully ready to say yes. As the thought of Yang running into her room and caring for her ran through her mind, she shied away from it. She didn't want to be babied right now. She knew how badly she had screwed up, and she didn't want to deal with it anymore. She just wanted this all to end.

Her mind turned to her partner. Weiss was logical and her slowly-turning best friend, but the heiress would not be in a good state for any type of conversation other than stressing about the consequences.

Blake was the last choice. The whole reason for Ruby's choices and the spark that had landed them there. She would be reasonable and would understand whatever Ruby had to say. Maybe it was time… maybe it was time she told the truth. And there was no one better to explain it to then the one who knew firsthand why she made the choices she did.

Doubt shot through her at the confrontation, at admitting her choices. She didn't want to admit to what she did, to lying and stealing from her team to protect them. She wanted to be their leader, strong and confident and smart enough to avoid being pulled into lies and blackmail. But she couldn't do this anymore. Ruby was tired of lying and keeping it a secret. It had to come out sometime.

She made up her mind, self-doubt coursing through her alongside determination to end the stupid games she had been playing for the last few days.

"No. Let Blake in," she told him.

* * *

The other three members of RWBY remained where they had been ordered to, comforting each other and waiting for something to happen. An hour had passed since Goodwitch's visit without a single update from either the infirmary or the staff outside the door. It had been gnawing at their patience and had ground it down to the bone.

Blake was still right where she was needed, with an arm wrapped around her golden-haired partner, pulling her against her in comfort. Yang was still emotionally torn, her head in her hands. She hadn't moved since the professor left, clearly taking the stress of the situation harder than the rest of them combined.

Blake's ears twitched as the sound of a metal latch being worked quietly filled the room. The inward door to the infirmary opened suddenly, making Yang jolt upwards. A middle-aged Beacon Medic stood in the doorway, blocking the view of the room beyond. His white overcoat was pristine and his hands were in the pockets. His face was scarred from what was likely years of service and countless lives saved.

Yang pushed Blake off and stood up quickly. "Yes?!" she asked hopefully, desperateness clear in her voice and slightly shaking body.

"Ms. Rose is ready to see a visitor," he informed them in a serious tone, his hard-to-discern gaze raking over each of them.

Yang smiled in relief and moved forward, only to find the Medic shifting to block her way, a single hand held up in front of him. "Not you," he informed roughly.

Blake rose her eyebrows at the harsh refusal, and Weiss sputtered indignantly beside her. Yang on the other hand froze, confusion flowing over her features before shifting to dismay. "What do you mean not me?!" the blonde demanded in a combination of doubt and anger.

The medic frowned down at her before turning his eyes to the side. Blake tensed as their gazes met, and felt Yang's and Weiss's land on her as well. She frowned too, cocking her head in question.

"Ms. Rose only wants to see her."

Blake's eyes narrowed at the statement, now more bewildered than anything. Alongside her Weiss looked back and forth between the occupants of the room, seeming equally flummoxed by the turn of events. Yang 's face continued to twist in several emotions.

The statement was downright odd. Blake knew that of the team, herself and Ruby were the least close. And now after ongoing secrets and a near death experience, the smaller girl wanted to see herself above her sister and partner? Something here wasn't adding up, joining the pile of unanswered questions.

"I… don't…" Yang stammered, taking a step back from the medic and looking down at the floor, her golden curls covering her face. "Why wouldn't she…"

The medic's stern look relaxed a little at the sight, seeming to realize how impacting the revelation was to the blonde. He nodded to Blake. "Ms. Belladonna – you have ten minutes. You may enter."

Blake looked between her two teammates in a silent question. While she wanted to go in and figure everything out, this felt wrong to her. Weiss looked disapproving but tilted her head towards the doorway, her opinion clear. Yang continued to stare at the ground, her hands clenched. Underneath her thick hair, Blake could see a tear slide down her face. This had to be very painful for her. Blake resolved herself to end whatever game was being played, any way she could.

She stepped forward and brushed past Yang, running her hand over her partner's shoulder in a comforting gesture. The medic moved out of the doorway, allowing her to walk through. She went through the portal and entered the infirmary proper, seeing the clean white and green walls of the main area. A large desk sat in the middle of the room with several displays upon it, currently empty of staff. Several basic beds and chairs rested to the left side, likely meant for basic recovering. The rest of the room was spartan and clean with shining floors.

The medic moved inside after her and shut the door, sealing her team off from her. He walked towards a door on the far side of the room, seeming to lead the way. Blake fell in behind him, feeling oddly uncomfortable around the man. She felt as if she was somewhere forbidden right now, having been chosen over both her teammates. She didn't let it get to her.

He stopped at a metal door with a large window alongside it, and gently grasped the door handle with a glance at her. "She is in here. I'll come get you when your time is up."

He slid it open with a quiet hiss and Blake carefully walked inside, trying to relax when it was closed behind her.

She found herself in a much smaller room, filled with medical equipment and lockers to each side. Against the back wall was a large hospital bed, and within it was her team leader, laying under the white blankets with her back slightly inclined upward by the bed. Silver eyes locked onto her own, looking more tired and sad than she had ever seen them.

"Hi Blake." Ruby said quietly, barely audible over the whirr of the fan atop the room.

"Hey Ruby," Blake replied, taking a careful step forward. The smaller girl's face looked haunted, with bags under her eyes and her hair looking rough and unkempt. Her eyes seemed somehow duller than normal, and the silver irises seemed to somehow spark with light. Blake briefly looked around and the room and found nothing emitting enough light to cause that effect. It was probably nothing.

"T-thanks for coming," Ruby offered, seeming to shrink downwards in her bed to appear smaller. "I'm sorry I… well … I need to talk to you."

Blake walked to the edge of the bed alongside her friend and leaned against it, placing her hands atop Ruby's blanket-covered ones. "Of course. Whatever you need to say, I'll listen."

Ruby murmured something under her breath. Blake felt the hand underneath the blanket twist around and latch onto her. "I… I know that things have been really, well, weird in the last few days…" she started carefully. "I wanted to tell you what's going on."

Blake smiled in what she hoped was a comforting way and bent down to get closer, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Everything that happened, the fighting and the mission and the lies," Ruby said quietly. "It was all about you."

Disbelief ran through Blake's body, followed quickly by pure, terrifying fear. The conversation had just gone a way she was not ready for – a way she hoped she would never have to deal with. She clenched Ruby's hand tightly, small shakes starting to form. _Please…_ She thought desperately. _Please don't._

Ruby stared at her with uncertainty, silver eyes seeming to glow white. "I know who you are, Blake. I know what you've done. And probably very soon, everyone will."

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